Vision of a Wandering Star
by Sierra Omega
Summary: A new evil approaches, and the four gods are helpless to stop it. Suzaku, as a last resort, calls upon a new Priestess, for Miaka is no longer able to carry out her duty. Can Munashii, with enough power to rival Taiitskun, be stopped? *Updated 8.5.02*
1. Prologue

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The Vision of a Wandering Star

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Notes: This fanfic is a continuation of the OVA's, where a new evil and new characters are introduced. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review!

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_It has been a year since Miaka and Taka left the world of the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, and within the book, there is great unrest. Not such that Miaka had to confront, but on a much larger scale. Though its beginnings were small, the significance was enough to gain the attention of Taiitskun the Creator, as well as that of Suzaku Seikun, God of the Southern Continent._

For the unrest does not lie within the soul of Konan or any other country under the Four Gods, but within the heart of a single celestial warrior. And that is a danger in itself, for if but one warrior were to falter beneath the pressures of his duties, everything would shatter in his wake. And Suzaku, being the compassionate and gentle god that he is, has set it upon himself to set things right. He would not let those under his holy charge suffer...

This is the story of a girl who sought the power of Suzaku. The tale itself is a spell, for once the first page is turned, all will fall into reality and become truth...

Join us, in this Mysterious Play.


	2. Wish

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Chapter One: Wish

Notes: Chapters up through five are completed, and so they're all posted at once. Chapter Six is underway, and due to be uploaded on ff.net within the next week. Special guest appearance by my friend Krizzy ^_^

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"So you have made your decision, Suzaku?"

_I have. It is imperative that things be altered with my intervention, for if things play out as they are, all of Konan and the other countries will fall under yet another evil._

Taiitskun let out a heavy sigh as she regarded the red-haired phoenix god with great weariness. She shook her head solemnly, looking through her mirror at the girl who would supposedly save them all.

"And you're sure Miaka cannot handle this feat? She has done much more than that, as your Priestess."

_She is not prepared for this, and I had promised her and Taka a happy life with no further interruptions by me. They deserve a solid future, after all they have done for Konan, and for me. This girl... I know it is she who will change the course of history. She has great power, even more than Miaka... she shall be my new Priestess._

"What of your brothers, Great Suzaku? Do they know of this plan?"

_They know of the danger... but not that I have planned to take hold of the situation. They would not approve of my plan._

The Creator raised an eyebrow, trying to keep the smirk from her aged features. "I see. Would I be right in guessing that there's something further that you haven't told me?"

The god smiled, his symbol flaring brightly upon his forehead. _There is another matter... but I wish to see how things will fall into place... it regards my warriors..._

Taiitskun raised a hand to silence him, faint realization dawning. "Don't tell me, I like surprises once in a while."

_Then I have your approval, Creator?_

"Yes. You are dismissed, Suzaku. Bring the girl here."

_As you wish._

Blank blue eyes stared at her computer screen with mild interest, the words she read committing themselves to memory. It was nearing six in the morning, but her insomnia disallowed her from sleep. Her chin was pressed against her hand, elbow balanced on the keyboard tray. The other hand, while not clicking the mouse avidly, brushed through long and unruly brown hair that constantly fell into her face.

She sat cross-legged in her comfortable computer chair, a pillow against her back; a loose t-shirt and snug sweatpants wrinkled from hours of sitting. No light could be seen aside from the glowing monitor, where she read on and on in the library of fanfiction she'd recently found.

_This author... she's really good, _she thought to herself with a sigh. _Can't seem to get enough of her stories... I wonder where she gets her inspiration._

A writer herself, the girl had posted several stories online, but not many had taken the time to read and comment, for she wasn't well known in the fanfiction world. A crash of thunder jarred her from all other thoughts, and she cursed lightly under her breath as the sounds of pouring rain hit the roof above her head.

_Great. I'd better sign off... don't want this thing to fry again._

Making sure she book marked the story, Yuusei Yume switched off one computer, then turned to her smaller console to say goodbye to anyone still online. She scanned her buddy list, and noted that only Kira was still on... as usual. The girl was as much a night owl as Yume was, never going to bed until dawn and not getting up until high noon, if not later.

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BaKaGuRlKiRa: what's up?

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Starlit_Memory_Yume: logging off... storm hit

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BaKaGuRlKiRa: aww, okies. talk to you tomorrow, then?

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Starlit_Memory_Yume: yeah, sure. Maybe we can go DDRing, ne?

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BaKaGuRlKiRa: heh :D sure. later then.

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Starlit_Memory_Yume: later

She closed the window, and was about to sign off when a random person decided to message her.

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Fushichou_Akai_no_Kami: Are you Yuusei Yume?

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Starlit_Memory_Yume: um, who are you?

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Fushichou_Akai_no_Kami: Don't worry about me. But you must listen. I need your help.

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Starlit_Memory_Yume: huh? but I don't even know you

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Fushichou_Akai_no_Kami: All will become clear to you. Now go to sleep.

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Starlit_Memory_Yume: er... sure... i was gonna do that anyway

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Fushichou_Akai_no_Kami: Good.

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~Fushichou_Akai_no_Kami has just logged off.~

_How weird..._ Yume thought with a frown. _Must be some weird guy trying to hit on me. Though, it could be Toya trying to play a joke on me. Who knows._ She flipped a switch, and the computer went dead, just as lightning filled the room with eerie white light. The girl had to cover her ears as the thunder cracked like a whip overhead, and she thought that she heard a bird's cry amidst the deafening assault on her eardrums.

_How the hell am I gonna all asleep in this storm?_ she thought sullenly, but shrugged as she grabbed her notebook, pencil, and pillow. Climbing under her warm sheets and blankets, Yume opened the notebook to scan over the contents with a sad smile on her face.

Poems, stories and pictures filled the book; her fascination with magic and mystical creatures was clearly evident to anyone who had ever seen these 'scribbles', as she lovingly called them. However, only a trusted few ever even caught a glimpse of these, for they were her only means of escape from the harshness of reality. Yume longed for a way out of her world; for a long time, she'd felt as if she didn't belong where she was. She enjoyed watching anime shows and reading novels filled with romance and magic; anything supernatural in it the girl would devour.

Her longing for such things induced wonderful -- yet often painful -- dreams that involved images of anything she had read, written or drew. Then, in the mornings, she would awaken with a soft smile, but it would fade into a mask of sadness; for it was then the realization returned that such things were never possible. It hurt her every day to know that she was just a normal girl with average looks, average grades, and an average life. No unnatural occurrences graced her existence, aside from those she thought up in constant daydreams.

The notebook was small and modest, though thick; half of the pages were blank for drawing, the rest lined for writing. The cover was sky blue, with silver etchings of a unicorn, a dragon and brilliant stars beneath a crescent moon. The pages within were simple, but had a border textured to look like silver-lined marble. It was this book she treasured above all else, given to Yume by her late grandmother.

Lately, she'd taken an interest in phoenixes, bright scarlet in color with an outline in shimmering gold and striking teal eyes. With precision and loving care she would sketch out each curve and contour of the slender form, down to the last feather. She never knew where her ideas came from, but it was her hobby to record whatever plagued her thoughts within this notebook, whether it be in writing or colorful sketch.

Yume finished the drawing with a final few scratches of a red pencil on the tailfeathers. She then tucked away the book within her favorite blue bag, which also held her drawing utensils and late-night snacks. She heard the rain die down as she did so, and, stretching at last, lay down and turned out her lamp. Her last thoughts before losing consciousness were of the strange person she had spoken to, and how it had triggered her urge to draw the phoenix.

_I wish, just once... that something extraordinary could happen to me, if only for a moment in this world... it would give me something to remember... and something to live for._

_Yuusei Yume..._

'Huh? Where... where am I?'

Red light surrounded her in a fine mist, dappled and brilliant. The voice called once more, and she turned around to see a tall form taking shape before her. At first, all Yume could see was the vague outline of a large bird; but when she stepped closer, the bird screamed and changed into the body of a beautiful man with flowing crimson hair and dazzling green eyes that seemed to pierce her soul. Radiant wings the matching color of his hair spread wide from between his shoulder blades, and his body was clad in light battle armor tinged the hue of newly-spilt blood.

_Yuusei Yume... _

'Who are you?'

_I am called Suzaku, the Phoenix God. _

Yume thought for a moment, then something stuck out in the back of her mind. _Fushichou... Akai... no Kami... God of Red Phoenix..._ 'Wait a second... that guy that talked to me online... that was you?!'

_Indeed. It was the only way to get your attention, aside from here in the dreamscape. As I said before... I need your help._

'But... Suzaku, you're a... a god! What could I possibly do to help you?' _And how do I know I'm not hallucinating?_ she added silently.

The deity smiled upon the girl, having read her thoughts and doubts clearly. _Fear not, little one, this is real. And do not believe yourself to be powerless... for you are the only one who can save my world._

'Your world?'

_Yes... will you come?_

She was hesitant to respond, and something in her gut told her that it was all a bad idea. However, always the adventurous and daring type, she accepted his plea with a nod. 'What must I do?'

_Close your eyes, Yume, and do not be afraid, for I will protect you always. All will become clear to you soon enough, but you must have faith, in both me and yourself. Do you understand?_

'Yes.' Yume did as she was told, shutting her eyes slowly. She felt the god approach her, and encircle her with a strong, yet gentle embrace. Immediately she relaxed, somehow feeling safe and secure within those arms. _I can't believe this is happening... gods, if this is a dream, don't ever let me wake up..._

Suzaku, again reading Yume's mind, smiled again as he spread his powerful red wings and took flight. Gaining speed, he broke the dimensional barriers with the cry of his animal form, emerald eyes focused ahead on their destination...


	3. Awakening

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Chapter Two: Awakening

Yume didn't know when the beast god had left her, but she awakened alone on a bed of soft grass, a halo of red light surrounding her body and filling her with soft warmth. Raising to a seated position, she rubbed her eyes quickly and pinched herself.

_No way..._ she thought. It was clear that she was no longer in her bedroom, let alone home in Japan. She felt the night breeze caress her face as she regarded the scenery around her, and took a guess that she had landed somewhere in Asia. And based on the apparent absence of cities, the smell of automobile gas and the roars of low-flying planes, Yume surmised that it was ancient China.

She rose to take a few steps, halting when her bare foot kicked something soft. Looking down, she saw with a smile that Suzaku had not sent her to this place without supplies of some sort, for there was her treasured blue bag, her notebook and meager foodstuffs still safe within. She flung the bag over one shoulder while gazing around again in wonder, curious as to where the god had intended her to go. A small fear filled her heart at the sudden pang on loneliness she felt, but at the same time the rush of excitement ran through her veins... this place, this adventure, was something she had craved for years.

"But where to go?" she asked aloud, and resolved to just pick a direction and walk. Ignoring the protests of her naked feet, Yume set off towards the mountains in hoped of finding someone who could aid her.

After almost two hours of seeing nothing but trees, rocks and grass, Yume grew tired of wandering. She blew out a sigh of impatience, pausing to sit and braid her hair.

_Well, I hope something exciting happens soon, or I'm gonna be stuck here dying of boredom..._

As if on cue, the girl began to hear voices nearby. One was somewhat high-pitched and playful, the other a low and growling bass. Instantly her mood perked up, and without stopping to brush off her grass-covered sweatpants, Yume took off in the direction of the voices.

"Daa! You're as bad as Miaka, na no da! Already you ate all of the fish!"

"Well, it ain't my fault ya decided to take off an' get some stupid firewood!"

"You could have saved me something, no da, since you were too lazy to get the wood yourself!"

"Aw, quit yer bellyaching. I'm too tired to deal with ya."

Yume approached the campfire cautiously, straining her eyes to see the two men surrounding it. One lay with his back against a tree, dressed in a wine-purple tunic with cream-colored trousers. His hair mimicked the flames in both style and in color, framing exotic features that reminded the girl of a wolf. His companion, upon closer inspection, looked even more curious with a fox-like face and short blue hair with long bangs that seemed to defy gravity with ease. From the prayer beads he wore, along with the shakujo in one hand and cone-shaped kasa hanging on his back, she assumed he was a Buddhist monk.

The red haired one grabbed for a nearby flask, taking a long draft before tossing it carelessly back towards the fire. The monk frowned at him, but said nothing. Yume tried not to giggle at the scene; she had no clue who they were, but from the apparent differences in personality she wondered why in the world they were traveling together.

Much to her surprise, the monk's sharp ears picked up on the faint sound, rising smoothly to his feet and reaching out with his shakujou to move aside the underbrush that was Yume's hiding place. The girl froze beneath the sharp gaze of the monk, and a voice in the back of her mind scolded her for coming so close. Unconsciously she began to shake, thinking a little too late that these men might be dangerous...

_Oh, great. My first day here and already I'm in trouble._

"Who are you, na no da?"

"Oi! Chiri? What's up?" the other called, reaching his comrade's side to look over his shoulder.

Yume backed away further, clutching her bag to her chest. The monk suddenly knelt down, looking levelly at her. "I won't hurt you... come on out, no da."

She stared at him for a moment, petrified and unmoving, until he sighed and reached out his hand, carefully handing the shakujou to the redhead. Yume was still wary despite the sign of friendship and trust, but she somehow remembered something that Suzaku had told her before.

_You will not be alone on your journey, Yume. There are two warriors that you must find, before seeking out the oracle, Taiitskun._ he had said. _You will know them, though perhaps not by sight. Use the power within you to search the souls that cross your path, and you shall know them._

And so she tried to look deep into the monk's eyes, searching him for something, though she knew not what. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth that had surrounded her when with the beast god return, and saw red light filling the void of blackness. Somehow, Yume _felt_ their good intentions, and _sensed_ the power within them...

Her eyes shot open at the exclamation of the red-haired man. "Chichiri, look at that!"

"I see it, Tasuki-kun no da."

"What?" Yume asked, as the two looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Are you guys... the warriors of Suzaku?"

The monk, Chichiri, furrowed his brow. "How do you know that, na no da?"

"I... was sent here by Suzaku... and I was supposed to find the two of you, then go to see this oracle called Taiitskun."

Tasuki's eyes widened at mention of the old Creator, then narrowed in suspicion. How did they know if this girl was really an emissary of Suzaku? His hand moved to the holster of his tessen, fingers grasping the handle of the iron fan threateningly.

"Look, girl, you got some proof that yer tellin' the truth?"

Chichiri shot him a startled glance, but allowed the bandit to take over the situation... for now. He, too, was wondering about the validity of her statements... why hadn't Suzaku sent Miaka, instead?

Yume, for her part, was terrified. Her bag slipped from her grasp, and she stared down at it blankly for a moment before an idea hit her.

"If... if I can prove that I've seen the human form of Suzaku, will you believe me?"

The two celestial warriors stared at her, silent and dumbstruck.

"You... you've seen Suzaku Seikun?" Chichiri stammered at last. Yume nodded, and immediately pulled out her notebook and a pencil. The monk glanced down at her belongings, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"You're not from this world, are you?" he asked, though he was sure of the answer. "Do you know... a girl named Miaka Yuuki?"

"Chichiri..." Tasuki warned, but didn't speak further. The girl looked up, and Chichiri could see that she was still greatly frightened of them. She seemed to strain for a memory, and then her eyes lit up in recognition.

"Miaka... kind of short, with long brown hair and green eyes? Hangs out with a dreamy guy named Taka?" They nodded. "Yeah, I know her... a little, I mean. I remember her through Keisuke, her brother, who I knew in school for a while. Let's see... I'm nearly twenty, so that must make her... eighteen now? I know she was a real glutton and a big klutz, but she's gotten better... she and Taka are engaged now..."

A chuckle caught her off-guard. Looking back up, she saw that Tasuki was attempting to hold back his laughter at her descriptions of the younger girl.

"That's our Miaka all right!" he guffawed, pounding the tree for emphasis. "Dead ringer! Ya proved yourself, girl... no need for any more suspicion."

"Tasuki, no da... are you sure that's wise?"

"Aw, damn, Chichiri, lighten up! The poor thing's scared to death already! I think I'd know a truth-teller if I saw one!"

"Demo... daaa..." the monk sighed, hanging his head in exasperation. "I suppose you're right."

Tasuki plopped back down next to Chichiri, who was meditating next to the fire with a look of heavy concentration on his face.

"Did she say anything to you, no da?" he asked quietly, so that the girl could not hear.

"A bit," the bandit replied, eyes still on the one in question. She was sitting near the fire, eating a bag of candy from her bag and silently picking grass off her clothing. "Her name's Yuusei Yume, and apparently, Suzaku sent her here instead of Miaka to save Konan from somethin', but she doesn't know what. All she knows is that she had to find us, and then go visit the old hag."

"Great. Another strange girl just pops in without explanation, na no da." Chichiri sighed, placing his fingers on his temples. "Will this never end..." he muttered.

"I know what ya mean, buddy," the bandit agreed, running a hand through his flame-colored hair. "But it's our duty and all, and it looks like she's our new Priestess, if my hunch is right. And y'know, she's kinda cute."

"Tasuki-kun no da! Now is not the time to be looking at her like that!"

"Yeah, I know, I know... anyhow, ya got any idea what this new evil could be?"

Chichiri thought about that for a second. If Suzaku had gone for another girl to become his Priestess other than Miaka, then his decision could only mean one of two things, or possibly both of them. Either something to Miaka where she couldn't carry the burden of being Priestess... or the situation was graver than anyone thought and Miaka did not have the power to combat it.

_And what of Yume?_ he mused in silence, staring out into the fire. He couldn't sense any sort of outward power from the girl, and something told him that if she did, it was meant to be awakened sometime or another in this world, and she may not even be aware of it. Then it struck him. Normally, when one is not aware of the power within them, it meant that either the energy was too weak... or too strong for them to realize. And from the way things were looking, it had to be the latter with Yume.

_The poor girl... I wonder if she realizes the danger she's in..._

"Chiri? What are ya thinkin'?" Tasuki prodded, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder in concern. The monk didn't answer at first, instead turning to the girl who was staring up at the heavens with clear, but troubled, eyes.

"I'm thinking, Tasuki, that we're in for something that could be completely beyond us to control."

The bandit jumped at the flat monotone in Chichiri's tone, noting the lack of his usual 'no da' phrase. He wished that his friend would remove his mask and show him what he was really feeling, but lately the monk had rarely removed the magical object for anyone, even Tasuki himself.

_Somethin's wrong with him... and Suzaku help us if he falls apart... he was, and still is, the strongest of us all._

With a frustrated moan, he returned to his bedroll and, grabbing his sake to take a final drink, settled down to sleep for the night.

Yume knew that they were talking about her, and the fact made her feel extremely self-conscious. She looked up at the sky for a while, wondering if the wandering stars could provide her with the answers. She remembered the beast god Suzaku, how he had promised that he would watch over her... but what was she to do? She had power, or so she'd been told. But how could she use it? Would she know how to find it? Furthermore... could she control it?

A shiver ran over her at the thought. What if she _couldn't_ control it? What then? Unable to consider such a thing, Yume resigned herself to digging through her blue bag again, pulling out the treasured notebook. Flipping it to a blank page, she took her pencil and began to draw. First an eye, then another... the more lead filled the paper, the more immersed she became with her work. It was a common thing... Yume would often become obsessed with a drawing to the point where she refused to do anything else until it was completed. And in a strange world with strange people and having no place among them, the stress became so much that she lost herself within the rhythmic scratching of pencil on paper.

A face began to take shape, and she took the time to fill in every detail as she recalled them, sometimes vigorously erasing a tiny area that was out of place or needed adjustment. Her eyebrows knitted together in concentration, and beads of sweat began to gather on her forehead. Her pencil began to slip from her fingers from the intensity she was pushing her hand to, but she ignored the ache in her wrist that begged her to stop...

As she toiled, Yume was oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. Chichiri was staring at her from the corner of his eye, mahogany gaze fixed upon her tall and slender form as it hunched over the small notebook. He continued to study her, still slightly suspicious, as a red glow began to surround her body and her eyes took on a haunted look. He turned slightly to better regard Yume; yes, she was definitely glowing, though very faintly.

"Yume?" he asked softly, but she didn't seem to hear him. On the contrary, her concentration seemed to increase, and in turn he noticed the strain she was placing upon herself. No longer able to contain his curiosity as to what she was doing, Chichiri silently rose and moved to take a seat by her side.

What he saw caught him completely off-guard. There, appearing as if by magic by Yume's hand, was the unmistakable form of Suzaku Seikun himself. With impossible clarity and precision she recreated him from her own memory, the god's expression identical to the one Chichiri himself had seen a year ago; one of love and compassion, but hardened by war and the duty to protect his followers.

The monk slowly let out the air in his lungs; he hadn't realized he was holding his breath. He was mesmerized by the image forming on the sketchbook page, and found himself in awe of the girl he sat beside. He felt that he could almost touch the features of the god, but knew it was impossible, being only an image.

"Yume..." he breathed. Suddenly, the girl dropped the pencil and grasped at her left hand -- the one that had been drawing -- as it began shaking uncontrollably. Chichiri felt the girl's chi flicker for a moment, and placed a hand on her arm in mild alarm. Her eyes shot up to meet his, wide with amazement.

"I didn't see you there..." she admitted, shying away from him and looking at her hands. "Was I bothering you, Chichiri?"

"Nani? Er, no! Of course not, na no da," he assured, gesturing to the pencil sketch. "I was just trying to see what you were drawing... you're quite an amazing artist, no da."

She began to blush, and refused to meet his gaze. "Oh, this? It's all right... nothing special really..." She bit her lip, still trying to stop the convulsions in her hand. Worried, Chichiri brought his other hand to rest over hers, holding them tightly and concentrating his chi.

"What are you--" she began, but fell silent as their joined hands began radiating with white light. After a moment she felt a strange energy surging through her, then it, along with the light, died away, leaving her hand feeling good as new.

"Are you all right?" he inquired, and was answered by a brisk nod. She mumbled her thanks and tried to pick up her pencil again, but Chichiri's hands held her captive for a moment longer.

"Does it always do that?"

"No..." she answered, shutting her eyes. "That's the first time. Sometimes, when an image is firmly ingrained in my mind, I want to capture it on paper before it fades away. I can work for hours on end trying to finish it, but when I'm finally done sometimes it hurts a little... but never like this."

"Such a terrible price to pay, no da," he murmured, "...perhaps you worked yourself too hard. It is a beautiful gift you have, your artwork, no da." She said nothing, and the monk gazed at her for a second, feeling a strange wave of emotion pass over him. "You should sleep now, Yume. You've had a long night, and tomorrow we have an appointment to keep."

"All right... oyasumi, Chichiri-san."

"Good night, Yume. May Suzaku protect your dreams."


	4. Choice

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Chapter 3: Choice

The day began early, Yume being awakened by Tasuki's somewhat rough shaking of her shoulders. She opened her eyes slowly, jumping at the fear that filled her mind. This wasn't her bed! Who were these people? Where...

_Oh, yeah..._ she thought, calming a bit as she stared at Tasuki's back, the memories reassuring her like a gentle breeze. The redhead was throwing dust over the remains of the fire, while Chichiri could be seen packing up the rest of the small camp. Unconsciously, Yume whirled around in search of her notebook, but heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing it placed on top of her blue bag. It was then that she noticed a blanket had been placed over her, and wondered curiously how it had gotten there. Then, shrugging, she rolled it up and tucked it safely into her bag.

Tasuki finished tending to the dying coals, grunting as he stood up to stretch his muscles and smooth his tunic. Chichiri tossed him the holster for his tessen; he caught it with a toothy grin. The monk gave him a small smile, but the bandit could tell that the gesture was hollow and his own face hardened.

_Dammit, Chichiri... what's with ya?_ Shaking his head, he swiveled his attention back to Yume, who was already finished with packing her things and stood leaning against the tree she had slept beneath. His eyebrow arched at the look in her eyes, so similar to the one he'd been seeing in the monk's...

"Oi! Yume," he greeted, walking up to her. "Sleep all right?"

At his acknowledgement, her face lit up into a smile. "Fine, thanks. Aside from your snoring, that is."

Tasuki jerked, bristling. "Whaddya mean, snorin'? I don't snore! Hey, why're ya laughing?"

Indeed, the girl had burst into a fit of shy giggles, face flushed with amusement. "I was kidding, Tasuki-san. Gomen nasai. I won't do it again."

The man was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter himself. "That was a good one, Yume-chan! I never saw it comin'!"

"I tend to have that effect on people," she grinned.

"Yeah, I bet! For someone's quiet as you, it's a big slap in the face! In a good way, I mean," he assured, noting her shocked expression. Then he sobered a bit, absently running a hand through his hair. "Hey, um... I know yer probably scared an' all, but you'll be okay s'long as you stick with 'Chiri and me, all right? We'll find a way to get ya home safe and sound; you can count on us!"

Yume looked away, blushing. "Thanks Tasuki... I know I'm kind of a burden on you guys, and that you'd be expecting Miaka to be here instead of me..."

Tasuki cursed inwardly, lifting her chin with his fingers so that she'd look at him. "Hey, didn't I say not ta worry? Yer no trouble at all. In fact..." He was about to finish, when a tiny figure popped out of nowhere atop the bandit's head.

"Let's go already, na no da! Taiitskun is waiting for us to get there! We can't keep her waiting, no da!"

"Damn monk," Tasuki muttered, swatting at the super-deformed warrior with a growl. "Why d'ya always have to do that, huh?"

"Do what, no da?" he shrugged, bouncing around with high-pitched laughter. "Oh, I see! You have a _crush_ on Yume-san, na no da!"

The bandit turned as red as his hair as he chased after chibi-Chichiri. "I do not, ya moron! Ya got it all wrong!" Yume watched the scene with interest, somewhat flattered by Chichiri's suggestion. However, she squashed the joyful feeling instantly, knowing that it couldn't be true. In all her nineteen years she'd never had the chance to have a boyfriend, and being in this new world was no different at all.

"Um, guys?" she interjected quietly, stepping in between the hothead and the chibi. "Maybe we should go?"

With a _poof!_ and explosion of magic, Chichiri transformed back to his normal height. "Good call, Priestess. Tasuki?"

Grumbling, the seishi complied and holstered his tessen reluctantly. "Yeah, let's go."

Yume was expecting to see some horses tethered nearby, but as she turned back to regard the Suzaku Seishi, noticed with some confusion that Chichiri had begun to remove the kesa from around his shoulders. The open white shirt beneath revealed a tanned and toned chest that caused the girl's breath to hitch for a moment. Finally, with a brief shake of her head to clear it, she looked back at the monk's face with curious interest.

"What are you doing, Chichiri?"

He raised an eyebrow, then sighed as he realized that Yume still had little exposure to the world he lived in. "I am a monk, no da, but also a mage. My kesa also is used as a transport device, and will take us safely to Mt. Taikyoku."

"Ano... that's... weird," the girl stammered, scratching her head. The seishi face-faulted, then righted himself quickly with a laugh.

"No worries, na no da. Daijobu; I promise it's perfectly safe."

"Yeah, I've done it tons of times, Yume. You can trust ol' 'Chiri here," Tasuki added, grinning.

"All right, then..." Feeling somewhat relieved, she waited until Chichiri had spread out the kesa along the ground and chanted a quick prayer. Then, he brandished his shakujou with a flourish and slammed the pole into the earth, brass rings chiming like distant bells. Immediately the cape began to glow bright red, and both seishi stepped onto it without hesitation. Yume looked on with the look of a frightened rabbit, but as Tasuki held out his hand to her, she relaxed and allowed herself to be led onto the portal.

With a flash of white light they were gone, the last traces erased by a shimmering golden dust and the cry of a phoenix in the distance.

Once Yume opened her eyes, she gasped as she took in her surroundings. She was standing in possibly the most beautiful garden she would ever see; blossoms of every size, shape and hue surrounded them in dense but organized rows and patches... the air itself smelled infinitely fragrant, and every time the girl breathed in she could smell something different. Her gaze swept over the lilies, the roses, and the sakuras... so overwhelmed was she by the intensity of their vibrant beauty that she nearly fell over, but was smoothly caught by Tasuki's strong arms.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" he commented softly. "Such is the magic of this place."

"Magic?" Yume asked, looking up into his golden eyes. He nodded.

"Hai. This place... only those who have pure hearts can see it for what it truly is. This is the mountain of Taikyoku, where the Creator of the world resides." He lifted his eyes to the blue sky, and Yume could sense a hint of sadness within the warrior. His fiery hair floated and brushed over his face in a playful breeze, but his features revealed no recognition to it; he appeared lost in the past.

"Such wisdom, from an arrogant boy," chuckled a nearby voice, and Tasuki visibly jumped. Yume glanced over to where he was looking, and instantly a silhouette formed from nothingness. The mist congealed into an aged, but feminine shape, until finally...

"SUNUKAKE BABA!" the redheaded seishi shrieked, all grace and gentlemanly mannerisms forgotten as he hid as a child would behind Yume. The girl sweatdropped, raising an eyebrow to regard the woman, whose veins were beginning to show in anger.

"I take it back, you incompetent fool!" she roared, her unattractive face morphing into an expression that made her even more ugly. Yume bit her tongue; though this person was the most hideous she'd ever laid eyes on, she had a feeling that respect should be given at all times.

"AHEM. Welcome, Yuusei Yume," the woman calmed, coughing into her fist and ignoring the cowering bandit. "I am Taiitskun, the Creator of this world."

Yume's face paled. "You... _you're_ Taiitskun? The one who controls Suzaku and brought me here?"

A calm, smiling nod.

The girl was speechless, her mind whirling with questions. She hadn't expected to meet Taiitskun so soon... what was she to say? What was she to ask? Her crystal blue eyes watered with tears of bitter confusion, but she blinked them back and replaced the haunted shadows in her eyes with determination.

The Creator seemed to know of her turmoil, as Suzaku Seikun had, but did not betray her thoughts as they were not alone. "Dear child, you must be very frightened," she said kindly. "Come this way, and I shall provide you with a warm bath and suitable clothing. Would you feel better then?"

Yume started, wondering why Taiitskun was acting this way. She'd expected her to throw her head-first into some mission... after all, that's why Suzaku had sent her there, right? But she relented, thinking that the old woman had her reasons. "Hai, I would."

Taiitskun smiled, then clapped her hands. "Nyan-Nyan!"

"YES MA'AM!" a cheerful voice spoke up, and from around a tree came a bright pink bubble. It flitted about like a butterfly drunk with nectar, until it paused beside the deity. With a loud _pop!_ and an explosion of golen glitter, the bubble tranformed into a short, cheery blue-haired girl with red and purple robes and bright silver eyes.

Yume watched with fascination as the oracle and the girl conversed avidly, and, with a giggle, Nyan-Nyan was suddenly pulling on the girl's hand with a big smile on her face. "Follow! Follow! Fix! Fix!"

Yume looked back at Tasuki, who grinned and gestured for her to go on. "Get yerself cleaned up, and we'll figure out what kinda mess we're in. Have fun!" He chuckled at the terrified look on her face, watching with amusement as Nyan-Nyan hummed a tune while dragging her guest off, teleporting swiftly with a flash of light.

"So, then," the bandit grumbled, turning back to Taiitskun. "What's goin' on? And where did Chichiri disappear to? Wasn't he with us?"

"I'm right here, Tasuki-kun." The monk clapped a hand on the seishi's shoulder, smiling slightly at his friend's jump of shock.

"Shit, 'Chiri!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "How many times've I told ya _not_ ta do that? I coulda flamed you without a second thought!" However, his comment was ignored as the blue-haired man walked to stand before his long-time mentor, Taiitskun.

"Sensei."

The deity bowed her head, regarding her pupil with a rare intensity that made Tasuki shiver with fear. Something _very_ bad was happening in their world, Tasuki realized, and they were in for a whole lot of trouble. And from what he could see, it would involve Chichiri more than anything -- or _anyone_ -- else.

The bandit cursed.

Yume stepped away from the vanity scrubbed, washed, combed and clean. Nyan-Nyan had worked wonders on her skin and hair, which had been dirtied considerably from sleeping on the ground the night before. Her clothes had been taken away to be washed and dried, and presently she wore white, loose-fitting leggings and a form-fitting red shirt that was laced up tightly in back, leaving little to the imagination in regards to her nineteen-year-old figure. Sleeveless, the shirt was made of soft, but thick material embroidered in gold into designs of the phoenix god Suzaku, and was cut into a modest square neck lined with white satin. Her hair was up in an elaborate braid, then twisted into a bun and held in place by a pair of golden chopsticks. simple black sandals and a shimmering red sash around her waist completed the ensemble, along with a touch of golden glitter to her eyelids that brought out the blue nicely.

She smiled, and her reflection gazed back just as warmly. It almost felt like she was a whole new person; not only did she look different, but she felt wonderful! She'd had a long talk with Nyan-Nyan about her world, and the little girl told her stories about Miaka, the previous Priestess of Suzaku. They shared laughs and an occasional tear or two at the sadder tales, but afterwards Yume felt like she knew where she was a bit better. Not only that, but she learned much about her companions, Tasuki and Chichiri; though the tiny nanny kept much of the monk's past a secret, for reasons, she had explained, that would present themselves soon enough.

Yume stretched fully, liking the way her clothes fit and allowed her to move easily. Looking back at the vanity table, she plucked up a fresh apple from the fruit basket and munched it thoughtfully. She was taking her last bite of the tart delicacy when a knock came on her door, along with a soft voice.

"Yume-san no da? Priestess?" Chichiri.

"Come in," she called, walking to the door herself. The monk opened it slowly, first peeking his head in as if nervous to see her. His fox like eyes fastened on her form almost immediately, and she thought she saw a tinge of pink creep across his cheeks. But before she could be certain, the seishi composed himself and entered the room fully, turning his head away.

"Taiitskun seeks audience with you, Priestess, as soon as you're able."

"Oh... really? I mean, sure thing... I'm ready," she stammered, though she had no clue why speech evaded her. Perhaps it was the way he was standing, giving her a glimpse of his strong profile; he lacked his kesa, and had changed into a blue silk shirt that was open in front and black trousers. Yume tried very hard to keep her eyes on his face as he turned to her at last.

Both were silent for a moment, simply regarding one another with interest, until Chichiri finally cleared his throat and opened her door once again. "After you, Priestess," he said, gesturing. With a shaky pair of legs she complied, and allowed herself to be led to where Taiitskun awaited their arrival.

It was a rather simple room, but all around them were mirrors of every shape and size. The walls themselves were made of reflective glass, and Yume almost felt smothered by the many images of herself surrounding her. The aged deity Taiitskun sat upon an ornate dais, with four statues flanking her, two on either side. Yume recognized one of them as Suzaku Seikun, and guessed that the others were his brothers Seiryuu, Byakko and Genbu, from what Nyan-Nyan had told her.

"Yuusei Yume... or should I say, Priestess of Suzaku," the Creator boomed from her perch. "I welcome you to my temple. Please, sit before me." The girl froze, suddenly afraid, but a familiar red-haired bandit appeared beside her and elbowed her side affectionately. Smiling up at him, she walked forward, and, flanked by both Suzaku Seishi, moved to their knees before Taiitskun.

"Priestess," she began. "You have been called here, to this world, because it is in great peril."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Tasuki muttered, but Yume pinched his arm and he shut up quickly.

"What kind of peril?" she asked the deity, who glared at the bandit but continued.

"I trust that Nyan-Nyan informed you of the adventures of Miaka, the previous Priestess?" Yume nodded, and the oracle sighed. "To be blunt, multiply all of that times ten and you've got what's happening now."

Tasuki and Chichiri both gasped audibly, while Yume simply paled and felt faint.

"Taiitskun!" the monk cried out. "If what you say is true... then that means Miaka is not powerful enough to aid us?"

"Miaka was promised by Suzaku to live a quiet life with Taka, and that is why Yume is here," she answered, but her gaze fell on the new Priestess. "However, you are correct in your assumption. Miaka, should she have been summoned in Yume's stead, would not have been able to overcome this evil. Thus, this girl was chosen by your god because of the great potential she has within her."

"But, Taiitskun..." Yume protested, "I have no power! I'm just a normal, everyday girl who dreams of romance and magic! There's no way I could have any potential!"

The deity's features softened, and her voice was soothing. "Child, I have watched you for many months with Suzaku before your arrival, and I believe that he was right in choosing you as his Priestess. But, as I did with Miaka, I will give you a choice.

"Yuusei Yume, you may choose to return to your world, but with no memory of ever being here or your encounter with Suzaku Seikun. Or, you can remain in this dimension to carry out your duty as Priestess and save us from the most terrible evil we have ever faced."

The girl was silent, not knowing how to answer. She felt Taiitskun's gaze on her even as she stared at the floor, biting back a stream of tears... she had to be strong.

"I think..." she whispered, but felt confidence fill her. "I think that I will stay here. If Suzaku has deemed me worthy... if a god so powerful has chosen me to be his emmissary, then so be it. I accept the role as Priestess of Suzaku, and all that this position entails." She raised her head to look back at Taiitskun, who stared back with a knowing smile and a proud gleam in her eye.

"Very well then, Priestess. I will now show you the nature of this problem..." the Creator raised her arms, and a gigantic mirror appeared before the followers of Suzaku. She began to speak, and as she did so the mirror filled with images to prove her words.

"When both Miaka and Yui were brought here to be the respective Priestesses of Suzaku and Seiryuu, the celestial cycle was broken. Never had the gods intended to openly go to war as the dragon and phoenix had, for it opened many doors to evil. This man, Nakago--" the mirror showed the image of a beautiful man fair of hair with piercing blue eyes, but a sinister expression on his face... "--manipulated the Priestess of Seiryuu to fulfill his own desires of achieving immortality and becoming a god, but was defeated only by Yui's redemption through Miaka's strong friendship. He was a master of the black arts forbidden to mages, and released an entity whose power rivals my own. Chichiri..."

The monk looked up, startled. "Hai, Taiitskun-sensei no da?"

"What was the first lesson that I taught you?"

Chichiri looked confused, but recited anyway, "'For every day there is a night, for every Yang there is a Yin'; there are always two sides to power, and to people."

"Very good," the old woman nodded in agreement, "...and such is the case here. When this world was born, I was as well. But at the same time, one was created to counter and balance my powers. Where I was made to Create, he was to Destroy; I am the Yang and he is Yin.

"The point is, this entity was meant to remain sealed in his mountain in order to exercise his powers from afar; he, unlike I, lacked the reason and desire to control his abilities. However, Nakago changed all of that. Not until now did I realize Nakago's true purpose in the succession of Priestesses; he was created by the Destroyer to act as his vessel, and channel negative energies in order to release him. That is why the cycle was disrupted; he imbued the power of Seiryuu into the boy before I knew what was happening, and only the beast god himself can remove the powers bestowed upon his warriors."

The old woman sighed. "I thought when Nakago died that this evil would end, as the Destroyer's vessel could no longer send him energy... I was wrong. The Destroyer... no, I shall call him by his true name... _Munashii..._ took a new apprentice, whom I'm sure your seishi remember well."

"Tenkou..." Tasuki growled with fury filling the golden depths of his eyes. Yume shivered at the tone of his voice, but turned her attention back to Taiitskun.

"Yes, Tenkou. I realized then that things were getting out of hand, and it took everything to seal him and reverse all of the damage he'd done. But, as the months wore on after Miaka left this world forever, Munashii struck.

"You must understand, all three of you, that never have you seen the true face of evil, for that is what Munashii is. There is no goodness whatsoever in his form, no compassion... he is a soulless creature who lives to manipulate, control, and destroy. And now... his power is enough to destroy the beast gods themselves."

"Taiitskun?!" Yume gasped.

"Yes, child. He _can_, and will try, to eliminate his competition. And once those four are gone, I will have no power left to hold him back."

"Then... what must I do?" she trailed off, at a loss of words.

Taiistskun sat up even straighter, allowing her voice to fill the room. "You must find the sacred relics of the four beast gods, and bring them to me. Only then will you be able to go further and defeat Munashii."

"The sacred relics? Of the Four Gods?" Yume breathed. "How will I find them?"

"I will give you a scroll that only you and I may read. It is infused with a power so holy that the Destroyer cannot read it unless he forces you or I to, which will not happen. I have no doubt, however, that he will send his minions to follow you every step of the way... but hear me, Yume. _You must not fail._ All four relics must be retrieved in order to save this world... if but one is lost, all is lost."

Yume allowed these words to sink in, her eyes widening further with each sentence. She felt shudders begin to take control of her body from fear and shock, but she struggled to control them with every inch of willpower she had.

"Yume?" Tasuki asked, concern and mirroring fear filling him as he saw the poor girl begin to shake uncontrollably. He placed one hand over hers, wincing while she grasped it tightly as if it were a lifeline.

Chichiri, too, noticed this, and his gaze flew to meet that of his sensei. "Taiitskun... I know you have more to say... but can it not wait? This is already too much for her..."

"No, Chichiri. She must know everything to understand; she has accepted this burden and has past the point of no return."

"But--"

"Chichiri..." Yume spoke up, silencing him. "I will listen to her... this is my fate... and I will do as asked or die trying."

Taiitskun felt a wave of surprise from the strength of chi she felt from the girl, and the sheer will that was revealed in her voice alone. _Perhaps she is indeed capable..._

"Very well then, Yume," the woman continued. "There is something else that you must know. The power required to defeat Munashii... it requires the temporary unity of all four Gods into a single body, mind and soul. That means..."

"...I am to become not only Priestess for Suzaku, but for Genbu, Seiryuu and Byakko as well," Yume finished. "And I'm guessing that since Suzaku chose me and not all four... the other three are unaware of his decision. That is the purpose of gathering the relics, correct? It is a test."

Again, Taiitskun was surprised by the girl. _Such insight! No one could have known that... she truly is powerful... maybe she _**can** _pull it off..._

"Yes, Yume, you are correct," the Creator affirmed, bowing her head in respect. "A very wise deduction, on your part. Never have I met a girl such as yourself."

"Thank you, Taiitskun," the girl replied, feeling her face turn red. Tasuki chuckled, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Silence reigned for what seemed like days, until Taiitskun broke it briefly. "Priestess, I can see that this burden already has taken its toll on you. Perhaps you should retire to your room; I'll have Nyan-Nyan bring you some supper in a little while."

"Hai. Arigatou, Taiitskun-sama..." Yume bowed, and shakily got to her feet with Tasuki's aid. Hanging from his shoulder for fear of losing balance, Yume let the bandit take her back to her chambers.

Chichiri watched them go with a strange look on his face, quiet. Taiitskun regarded her pupil with interest, clearing her throat loudly. Caught staring, the monk reddened, removing his mask and looking up at his teacher with his one good eye.

"Gomen nasai, sensei."

To his surprise, the woman chuckled. "No need for apologies, Houjun. I know you... and I also know what you're doing to yourself. Why must you continue to drown in self-hatred?"

"Because I deserve nothing else." He flinched at her use of his real name, cursing his existence at the intense memories that came with it.

"Did Hikou's revival and forgiveness mean nothing to you?" she prodded, eyes narrowing. "Was Miaka's sacrifices on your behalf worthless in your mind?"

"Of course they meant something..." he answered, pain etching his features as his mahogany gaze moved to study his shoes. "It meant the world. But the fact that I still failed to save him... is enough to doom me to eternal solitude."

"Who are you to say if you are damned?" the deity barked, though her tone was even and civil. "Why can you not accept the forgiveness given freely to you by your friends and guardian god? Suzaku is saddened, Chichiri, by your suffering."

"I swore to never relive the past. I swore never again to love as I had before."

"If you continue to defy fate, then you will die."

"I care nothing for my own life."

_"Then do you also care nothing for your companions?_ You are the key element in this celestial battle, Chichiri. You alone decide the outcome of this war."

He whirled around in shock, meeting Taiitskun's angered gaze.


	5. Request

**__**

Chapter Four: Request

Night had fallen, but Yume found early on that she couldn't sleep very long. Thoughts and reflections of the meeting with Taiitskun haunted her relentlessly, and she found herself wishing that she'd never accepted her role as Priestess.

_But then..._ she thought,_ She said I would have had to go back with no memories of ever being here! I haven't been in this world very long... and even though it seems so much at once, I'd never trade this for anything... I don't ever want to return home now..._ A wry grin crossed her tired face as she threw back the covers of her fluffy king-sized bed. _But I don't even know if I'll come back alive from this ordeal._

Darkness fell over her heart and mind then, and she felt stifled by it. Needing the reassurance of fresh air, she crept from her room and headed silently back towards the gardens.

_I wonder how Miaka felt, when she was confronted by such danger... was she afraid? Or did she swallow her fear to keep morale up among her warriors? I'm totally at a loss for what to do..._ Looking up, she groaned in realization that she'd found herself lost in the labyrinth of Taiitskun's palace, stopping to get her bearings. She was about to turn around when a dark figure pulled away from the surrounding shadows, hovering near a large window. From the silhouette she could make out a tall, wiry frame and long bangs...

_Chichiri?_

She was afraid to move, for fear of surprising the monk. He gazed with sad eyes out into the starry night, shirtless despite the slight nip of mountain cold. His chin sat upon one hand as he reclined upon the sill, moonlight casting shadows and highlights that caused Yume to gasp in awe. The planes of his chest heaved gently from his soft breathing, strong arms that she once thought delicate and thin, displaying taut muscle beneath soft skin. As she watched -- Chichiri was still oblivious to her presence -- he raised a hand to his face, and to her curiosity pulled something off of it. It was a mask.

Her gaze moved from the magical item back to the seishi's face, and Yume had to cover her mouth to silence her sharp breath intake. He was even more beautiful than before, but tears filled her eyes from the discovery that he only had one eye... his left one was closed forever, covered by a deep scar that ran over the bridge of his nose. She mourned the loss of that eye, mind whirling and wondering how he had gotten it, but she wasn't afraid... no, it didn't scare her one bit... but she was enthralled by the monk's intense, sculpted features. His one eye was chocolate brown, glinting almost red... but she figured it was a trick of the light. He raised his head to meet the southern breeze, inhaling deeply and exposing his long, slender neck. His ponytail fell gently over one shoulder, and Yume wanted to brush those azure strands away...

She took a step forward, unable to keep her distance, and he looked up, blankly staring back at her.

He hadn't sensed her, which he chastised himself for mentally; there had been much on his mind despite his attempts to clear it. But once he'd laid eyes on her he froze, almost choking on air at the sight she made. Changed into a simple robe of shimmering white silk, it hung loosely around her tall, youthful, but clearly adult figure, and he had no choice but to appreciate her beauty. Her hair flowed freely about her shoulders like a halo highlighted in silver by the moon; her eyes were wide, unblinking, but clear as they reflected the same crystal blue of the night sky he'd just been observing. She was breathtaking.

He didn't dare move, frozen in this spell of the moonlight just as she was... neither willing to break it, both wishing to stay there for eternity... but forever is a long time, and Chichiri was never one for patience.

"Yume..." he breathed, wondering distantly if he was dreaming. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "I was looking for the garden, but ended up here... and I saw you... and... I..." she trailed off, and the flush in her cheeks was unmistakable.

"Yume... you should rest," he scolded, but there was no anger in his words. "We have a long journey to prepare for, and you need your... strength..."

Neither had realized they had walked the distance separating them; they merely found themselves mere inches apart, but paid it no mind. Their eyes locked, Chichiri placed one hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes to savor the contact, then opening them to smile up at him. Growing bolder, his other hand wound itself into her hair, pulling her head back as he left a trail of soft kisses down her neck.

Yume's blood sang from a mixture of emotions... but above all was her desire to be nearer to Chichiri... Her lips sought his, placing her hands on his bare chest as they met. His mouth caressed hers lightly at first, then with growing fervor and intensity. It was all she could do to suppress a soft moan, and she pulled back to gently trace her fingers over his scar.

As if suddenly realizing where he was, Chichiri's own hand flew to the marred side of his face. His good eye widened as its gaze revealed his horror and shock.

"Yume... I..." he panted, backing away from her. Then, with a quickly stammered incantation he disappeared, undoubtedly teleporting back to his room. The girl raised a hand outwards as if to reach for him, but instead touched her swollen lips as a tear escaped one eye.

_He's afraid of me..._ she realized, and with a sob, sank down to the floor in defeat.

Morning came all too soon for the Priestess, who hadn't slept a wink since she'd managed to stumble back to her own room. Instead, she had collapsed onto the pillows, sobbing, but half of her didn't understand why.

_Why was he so afraid... does he hate me now, for knowing about the mask?_

"Yume? Yume, can I come in?" Tasuki's deep voice roused her from her thoughts. She glanced up at her door, shaking from his pounding knocks. Wiping her eyes, she called him in, and as she expected, he was stunned by her appearance, though not in the same manner Chichiri had been the night before.

"Wha--? Yume, you look like you've been through hell! What's wrong? Why're ya crying?"

She couldn't take it anymore, and buried her head inside the crook of the bandit's neck while sobbing her heart out. Tasuki, though confused, wrapped his arms around her, rocking the girl back and forth in order to calm her down.

"Shh... shh... it's gonna be okay, Yume... S'all gonna be okay... now what happened?" he pried gently, once her tears had slowed. She didn't look at him for the longest time, and tears threatened to spill once more. Tasuki, thinking that the whole thing was stress from the day before, pulled her close and stroked her hair before he realized what he was doing.

"Yer going through a rough time, I can see that," he soothed, "Is there anythin' you wanna talk about? Sometimes talkin' makes things better."

A single glance into his golden eyes melted away all of her doubt, giving way to his concerned sincerity. Sniffling, she struggled internally to form the words that would explain last night's confusion... but to no avail. Desperately she looked around the room, and blue eyes fell on her notebook.

"Tasuki... I don't know if I could tell you... but... maybe I can show you. Could you bring me that journal over there?"

"The one you brought with ya?"

She nodded, and he smiled, ruffling her hair as he rose to retrieve the item. "It's a really nice book," he commented with a glance to the cover. "Chiri told me you were a really good artist."

"I try," was the only response she gave, and then she began to draw.

Unlike the passion she had in recreating every detail of Suzaku Seikun, Yume made a simple sketch, an outline of what had occurred between her and Chichiri. She began to feel more at ease around Tasuki, relaying to him small details and explaining all that couldn't be expressed on pencil and paper. He would ask a question here and there, but the rest of the time listened in rapt silence, his mind awhirl at her descriptions of Chichiri's actions.

An hour passed, and finally Yume was done. There on the page was a perfect study of the Suzaku monk, image reflecting the turmoil the girl had herself witnessed, with eye closed and head raised to meet the night air, hair upon his shoulders and shadows playing along his lean frame.

Tasuki stared at the drawing, noting with sadness that Chichiri's expression was identical to ones the bandit had seen many times before, as he stared longingly up at the constellations of their dead friends. Cursing to himself, he wondered why his friend had displayed such passion for Yume, then ran away scared.

_Somethin's up. I gotta find out what it is..._ He raised his gaze up to meet Yume's red-rimmed one, giving her a mournful look.

"I dunno why he did that to ya, Yume-chan," the bandit sighed. "But I'll personally make sure he won't do it again. He has no right to get away with somethin' like that... but what confuses me most is that it's not like him at all."

"What do you mean, Tasuki?"

"Well... I dunno whether or not it's my place to tell ya the whole story--" he paused, taking a breath; "--but what I can say is that Chichiri's had a long, hard life. He still hasn't forgiven himself for something that was never his fault... and lately I think it's starting to affect him. I noticed it more after Miaka left; but he still hasn't opened up to me.

"But, maybe..." Tasuki regarded her thoughtfully. "Maybe he'll open up to you." He picked up the notebook, pointing to the picture. "Now, I dunno what anyone else thinks, but your work is damned good, Priestess."

"It's just a sketch..."

"Yeah," he countered, placing his finger on her lips. "_'Just a sketch,'_ but I can tell from jus' lookin' at it that you care a lot about him. I've never seen someone put so much emotion into their work before. Y'know what, Yume? You remind me a lot of Miaka." His features softened considerably, taking on a look of sorrow. "She loved everyone and everything... the girl had a heart of gold, and she showed it by standing up for all of us, and the idiot even got into a lot of trouble and nearly got herself killed to save us all. She was a baka... but the best friend I'd ever know.

"Yer a lot like her, Yume-chan. I don't know ya very well, but you're just as brave and loving as she was; I can tell. Jus' a gut feelin' I guess, but I've learned to trust it. Comes with hangin' around that damned monk."

The girl giggled, already feeling better. "Thanks Tasuki, I needed that."

"Hey, anytime. Told ya I'd take care of everythin' didn't I? I wasn't lying."

She smiled for the first time that morning, throwing herself into his embrace and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. The bandit instantly blushed, hugging her back tightly.

"If Chiri won't take care of ya, Yume, then I will. I promise."

Unbeknownst to the two, Chichiri stood outside, standing frozen with one fist raised to knock, listening. He felt his face fill with fury at Tasuki's vow...

__

"If Chiri won't take care of ya, Yume, then I will. I promise."

Glowering at the closed door, the monk turned around and headed back to his room. He couldn't figure out why he was so angry... but knew it annoyed him that the bandit thought he would shirk his duties as Suzaku Seishi and not protect Yume.

He felt hurt... almost betrayed. Chichiri's thoughts returned to the night before, replaying the scene over and over again. He relived the desire... the passion for Yume as he'd kissed her and drew her close.

_I was a fool..._ he gritted his teeth while hiding his face in his hands. _I was careless... she saw me without the mask... vulnerable... I swore that no one else would see me like that._

But then, wasn't he just there to apologize to Yume for his actions? To explain why he had acted that way? That he hadn't meant anything by it?

He stopped in his tracks, pulling is mask off to stare at it. _What part of it didn't I mean?_

"Chichiri-sama!" a chipper voice tore him from the question, and his head shot up just in time to see Nyan-Nyan appear in midair before him. "Chichiri-sama! Message from Taiitskun!"

"What is it, na no da?" he asked, putting a smile on his face as to not disturb the childlike spirit. 

She floated down to the floor, running over to give him a big hug. "Taiitskun says you and the others must stay here for a few days! 'Must prepare!' she said! And she said Chichiri-sama must teach Priestess-sama how to fight! Hehehe!"

The monk visibly paled, alarming the Nyan-Nyan. "Chichiri-sama? Are you sick? Fix! Fix!"

He gulped, then shook his head. "No... I'm fine Nyan... but why does she want _me_ to do it? Can't Tasuki teach her better fighting skills?"

"Already talked to Tasuki-sama, silly Chichiri-sama!" she giggled. "But Chichiri-sama has to teach Priestess-sama chi powers! The Priestess has lots of chi and that's good!"

"I see..." Chichiri frowned, wondering what the oracle was up to. This time the spirit did not notice his reaction, merely gushed and babbled like a brook about how wonderful Taiitskun was.

"Hey! Chichiri-sama? Can Nyan-Nyan help train the Priestess too?" She gave him the most adorable set of puppy dog eyes, floating up into his face. The monk had no choice but to smile at her enthusiasm, poking her nose playfully.

"Of course you can, no da. We'll have fun, ne? Just like when I trained here, no da."

"YAI!!!! Nyan-Nyan gets to train with Chichiri-sama again!" she floated away, performing somersaults and cartwheels in a happy daze. Chichiri watched her with amusement, but his supposed mirth was hollow.

"Taiitskun... what have you planned?" he wondered with a groan.

Yume changed into her clothes, recently brought by Nyan-Nyan with a message to wait for an escort to the gardens; she was to begin lessons in controlling her abilities today.

_"Priestess-sama has to learn basics," the girl had pointed out, "but after that you're on your own! Taiitskun can only teach so much!"_

And so, with yesterday's leggings and a simple blue shirt, she slipped into a comfortable pair of black shoes and stood outside her door to wait. Just as she leaned back against the wall with arms crossed, Tasuki stepped from around the corner, wearing his usual fanged grin. He wore a different outfit than before; a white tunic shirt hidden beneath a navy blue coat lined with teal fabric, cream colored pants and tawny boots. The earrings and prayer beads around his neck were identical, as was the holster for his metal fan.

"Oi, Yume!" he greeted, swaggering over to her. "You ready to go?"

"No," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. "I'm waiting for my proper escort."

He feigned shock, placing a hand dramatically over his heart for emphasis. "Yer words wound me, dearest Yume-chan, my love! To be denied the righteous title of _proper escort!_ Such chilling insults! Yer a fiend, girl! A fiend!"

The girl promptly raised an eyebrow. "Oh, a fiend am I? But perhaps 'tis better to be fiend than to have the visage of a wolf, with fire for hair!"

He didn't back down, cornering her against the wall. "Ah, but ya see, a girl like you should know not to play with fire. You could get hurt..."

Yume couldn't stand it; she collapsed into a fit of giggles, face red from having to hold back the laughter. The bandit joined her shortly, playfully bopping her shoulder with his fist. "My accent that funny, eh?"

She nodded. "When you talk like that, it is! Now, shouldn't we be going?"

"I thought you were waiting for your escort?"

Yume smacked him, causing him to grin again. He held out his arm, and she took it graciously.

The monk waited impatiently on the balcony above the gardens for Tasuki and Yume to arrive, still wondering why _he_ was being dragged into this 'training.' Even Nyan-Nyan could teach the Priestess the most basic of spells and chi techniques, but instead _he_ was to tutor her.

Sighing, he resigned himself to staring up at the sky and pretending he could see his constellation until they arrived. He had a feeling that it was going to be a very long day.

*****

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Notes: I simply couldn't resist teasing Tasuki like that, but I hope I kept him in character. I know I'm adding in a lot of mythology (i.e. the last chapter), but it'll all be explained in full very soon in an interlude (if not in a future chapter). Let me know what you think so far!


	6. Conflict

**__**

Chapter Five: Conflict

Notes: This chapter is the end of Part One in _Vision of a Wandering Star._ Hope everyone's enjoying the story so far; it's been fun writing it.

*****

__

Tasuki stood solidly before Yume, arms crossed as he gave out his instructions. At Chichiri's suggestion, they had decided to cover physical combat first; chi techniques, he pointed out, were much more rigorous and draining. So, with a shrug and trademark grin the bandit had agreed, though internally he knew that the monk was stalling.

"All right, Yume. The easiest thing I can teach ya right now is how to block. It's pretty simple and is a lot more handy in a tight spot than knowin' how to punch or kick, see?" At her nod, he continued, spreading his legs shoulder width apart.

"Now, when you're either defending or attacking, ya gotta be in the right stance or you'll lose yer balance... now watch me, and do the same... Right... no, move your foot over here some... Good! Okay... now to blocking itself..."

After an hour or so of slow-motion blocks, Tasuki announced that it was time to spar. Yume readied herself in the stance she'd been shown, hands dangling loosely at her sides. The brigand stretched a bit, working out his back. It was a difficult job, he realized, to teach a beginner how to fight, but she'd mentioned having some sort of self-defense classes back home, which helped somewhat.

"Ya ready, Yume-chan?" he called.

"Hai, sensei!" she saluted, smiling. He returned the salute, then charged towards her. Tasuki had to focus most of his concentration into keeping his velocity _down,_ for one of the bandit's seishi abilities was inhuman speed and reflexes. He saw Yume tense in anticipation, then threw his first punch. Narrowing her eyes, she parried it with an open hand a split second before it connected with her shoulder. Grunting approval, he reached with his leg to hook her knee, but the girl side-stepped easily.

Chichiri sat cross-legged on the sidelines, his mouth frowning in disapproval. _This seems almost too easy for her._ But he remained silent for the time being, still having some faith in his friend's teaching ability. After all, he'd shown Miaka some moves in the past.

_But then, Miaka was much weaker physically than Yume appears to be._

"Tasuki!" he called, waving the bandit over. With a raised eyebrow he walked over to the monk's position.

"What'cha need, Chichiri? Somethin' wrong?"

"Not exactly, no da, but I don't think you're taking Yume very seriously."

The redhead jerked, obviously insulted. "Whaddya mean? You think I'm going easy on 'er cuz she's a girl?"

"Well... if you put it that way... yes, I think so, no da."

Both shot a glance to the priestess, who was practicing a duck-and-block while waiting. Tasuki's lingered for more than a moment, an idea striking him.

"Well, 'Chiri, ya think you can do any better? Physical fighting ain't exactly yer thing."

The monk immediately went chibi, red in the face and puffing out his chest in indignation. "I may be a mage, but I'm by no means weak, na no da! Because I choose magic over brute strength doesn't make me incapable, na no da!"

"All right then," the azure-haired seishi was awarded by a fanged smirk. "You go an' show her. This'll be a laugh."

Chibi Chichiri stuck out his tongue, then returned to normal size with a puff of white smoke. "Fine then Tasuki. But remember, no da, that she's not Miaka." As he stalked off, the bandit stood staring with mouth agape, wondering what in the world that remark meant.

Yume looked up, expecting to see Tasuki returning to spar. She was elated from being able to deflect his attacks so fluidly and easily, and felt she was ready to move on. Instead, her eyes widened as Chichiri, not the redheaded seishi, walked up with his staff to stand before her.

"You did well with Tasuki's playing around," he stated in a flat monotone. "But let's try something a little different, no da. Try to block me." Before the girl could react, he was already moving, swinging his staff towards her side...

_WHAP!_ Almost instinctively, her knee rose in defense, connecting with the dense wood. She whimpered in slight pain from the contact, raising her wrist barely in time to deflect what would have been a crushing blow to her neck.

"CHICHIRI!" Tasuki shouted from the sidelines. "LAY OFF ALREADY!"

The monk stopped momentarily, looking at Yume but speaking to the bandit. "Any enemies we come across aren't going to 'lay off' because she's a girl, no da. She has to learn this way, Tasuki, so that she doesn't get hurt even worse later on, na no da."

There was a protest, along with a muffled curse, and though Yume cradled her wrist in pain she saw the truth in Chichiri's words.

"Tasuki... it's okay!" she assured him with a smile. "I'll be all right, sensei." She saw the redhead blush, causing her to smile. Now she turned her attention back to the monk, who watched her in silence.

"Bring it on."

He complied, rushing at her again at top speed. Gritting her teeth and planting herself into position, she watched his movements... he swung... Yume rolled to the side just before Chichiri's staff hit her stomach, and jumped up to take a second blow with one forearm. She cried out, but amid her tears she kept on going, parrying a long series of blows and then finally sidestepping a forward charge, panting for breath.

"Anticipate their moves!" the monk was shouting. "Watch their style for any weak points!"

"Got it!" She dodged a swing, but overcompensated. Yume lost her balance, backpedaling two steps before falling onto her back. Chichiri drove his staff downwards into her exposed midsection, landing a glancing blow as the priestess rolled out of the way and flipped to her feet.

"Damn..." she muttered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She squinted at the monk, who was moving in almost slow motion at her. She thought she saw something, but as she dodged once more, saw it again.

_Of course!_ she realized with a start. _Chichiri lost an eye... so that means he has a blind spot to his left! Okay, Yume... concentrate on those few judo lessons you had..._

This time as Chichiri readied another attack, Yume did a controlled forward tumble to the side, landing by his left leg and hooking it with hers. She pulled, and with a startled "DA!" he began to collapse over her, but spun in midair to land on top of the girl with staff positioned over her throat.

It took a moment for their position to register, as the two lay sprawled over the earth. Chichiri huffed for breath, hovering over her body with legs entangled with Yume's. Then, as he looked to see if she was all right, froze in place. The girl had her eyes closed, gasping for breath as she grasped the staff, face flushed from exertion and thrown to the side. There was silence for a long time, but when the priestess opened her eyes to meet Chichiri's hidden one, she too froze.

"Y-yume no da..." he stuttered, trying to contain a blush and control his breathing. "Are you all right?"

"Um... I think so..." she responded silently, relaxing her muscles at last though her gaze remained locked with the monk's. "Chichiri?"

"N-nani no da?" He gulped at their extremely close proximity, but couldn't ignore how close their faces were...

"Was it a dream?"

Though a vague question, Chichiri knew exactly to what Yume what referring. And he wished she hadn't brought it up; he wanted so badly to move away from her... but found his own body betraying him. Most of his weight was pressed against her from the fall, allowing him to feel even through their clothing every curve of her figure... and the fact that she wore a form-fitting outfit didn't help matters, either...

He wanted to scream that yes, yes it was all a dream and that he didn't want to be around her... but it was all wrong. Even acknowledging the inquiry would prove to be his undoing; it seemed he was trapped by his own actions.

"Iie, it wasn't," he said in reply with a sigh of resignation. "It was very real." And as he stared into those sad blue eyes, he began losing himself in their depths. Chichiri caught a glimpse of something that he hadn't noticed before within Yume... an intense loneliness, a sense of alienation... one who has lived without a feeling of belonging; he gasped, for he recognized these emotions as reflected within himself.

"Yume..." he breathed, leaning closer to her without thinking. She looked away suddenly, and the monk could no longer resist pressing his lips against hers, moving her chin with his hand back towards him. The girl responded immediately, leaning up slightly to return the kiss with equal force. Both felt the passion from the night previous returning in waves, but before they could continue, they were stopped by loud hoots of laughter.

"WHOO! Get 'er Chiri!" Tasuki bellowed merrily. "Don't let me interrupt your 'training,' okay kids?"

As if his playful jibes were a bucket of cold water to the face, Chichiri reddened and clumsily got to his feet. Mentally cursing himself for losing control for a second time, he resolved to meditate for the remainder of the night after Yume's lesson concluded.

_What's _wrong_ with me? I barely know this girl, and already I'm kissing her like she's my lover??? I think I've been hanging around Tasuki too long..._

To Yume he said, "Very good work, no da. You handled my attacks with skill. With some more practice, you will become a good fighter, no da. However, magic is an entirely different genre, used not only for fighting, but for healing and deception. Do you understand?"

Tasuki did a little victory dance while Chichiri's back was turned, flashing Yume the peace sign with a deformed grin. The girl stifled a giggle as she glanced in his direction, then returned to focusing on Chichiri with less hesitation than she had before. Maybe he regretted it, but there was no doubt that the monk cared for her as she did for him. But was it... love?

The word seemed almost alien to her, unfamiliar in sound and feel. No, perhaps it was too soon to say love... but it was definite that she felt _something_ mutual between them... why else had he kissed her like that?

She listened to the deep sounds of his voice, gentle and soothing as he explained the essence of magic and its uses in a condensed lecture that must have taken him years to understand. She picked up on it quickly; much was common sense, others she knew from books she had read back home. It was exciting to be at last learning something worthwhile; the physical training had been necessary and beneficial, but this... Yume had dreamed of magic and enchantment from the moment she was introduced to it.

In a few hours' time, she had learned the basics of meditation and focusing spells, but it went slow enough that she absorbed every word and piece of advice, taking them to heart where no one could ever remove them. Chichiri was patient with her inexperience, but she picked up quickly, surprising the both of them.

The monk began to wonder if his teaching was necessary; Yume seemed to know what he demonstrated to her already. But as she mimicked his actions with awkwardness and a tinge of nervousness, he realized that she did indeed have great potential, but had no true channel for her energies until now. For in her world it was insisted that magic was myth, a fantasy that none could attain; Miaka had told him this when they'd first met.

And so, he walked her through every step, holding her hand the entire way but careful to not trod on her wings. For Yume was indeed a bird with strong wings; she just needed to learn how to use them. By the time the session was over, Chichiri felt confident that Yume was ready to go on to the next level. He was worried, however, that perhaps they were going too fast -- it had taken him months to attain the necessary control for the most basic of spells -- but there was no time to waste. The danger was here and now... and Yume _had_ to be ready.

Taiitskun watched Yume through her largest mirrors, awed at the speed which she learned new techniques in both physical and spiritual strength. Nyan-Nyan stood by her side, silent but pouting sadly.

"Nyan-Nyan want to help Chichiri-sama," she whined, earning her a chuckle from the old oracle.

"Silly girl. If you were there, would Chichiri have done what he did?"

"Well... maybe not... but Nyan-Nyan wanted to be there! Better to see it in person! And want to help train the Priestess with magic! Priestess-sama is a fast learner, Taiitskun! Already passed what took Chichiri-sama months!"

"Yes, indeed," the Creator nodded, smirking. "Though her powers are weak for now, it is certain that with Chichiri's help they will grow rapidly, as will his. However--"

"-- Chichiri-sama must admit feelings to be strong, yes!" the girl chirped with a bright smile, and the old woman sighed, sweatdropping but nodding all the same.

Nyan-Nyan peered with sorrow down at the solemn Chichiri through the mirrors, deep in thought. _Chichiri-sama still hurts from long ago, and now he hurts Yume-chan and Tasuki. This cannot go on, or Munashii will win! Nyan-Nyan must help..._

Three days passed, and Yume had begun to master not only blocks, kicks and minor punches, but also basic elemental spells and chi shielding. Though there were many things to iron out in these skills, Tasuki and Chichiri had assured her that there would be plenty of time to practice on their quest to find the sacred relics.

Yume worked hard, even while not in training. While in her room she drilled in shadow sparring, then rested while meditating to regain her strength. Tasuki and Nyan-Nyan were frequent visitors, bringing with them jokes and cheer; but Chichiri, though becoming more friendly, remained at a distance from her.

_Ever since we kissed, it seems like he hates me... but I can't tell with that mask on. Why is he so afraid to take it off? It seems so unfair, that he gets to hide his emotions when the rest of ours are out in the open._

She and Tasuki were in her room now, exchanging humorous tales while dining on plates of food brought by the chipper Nyan-Nyan. The bandit related many incidents of trouble he'd run into with his best friend Kouji, before meeting Miaka and joining the Suzaku Seishi. 

"-- and so we had to go an' fight this huge monster who was after the old boss's tessen. We thought we knew the entire incantation, but for most of the battle it didn't work."

"So that fan shoots fire, huh?" Yume queried, eyebrow raised. The bandit laughed.

"Well, _yeah_, you baka. What'd ya think it did? Keep me cool in summertime?"

"I wouldn't know. So all you do is say the incantation and it just works?"

"No, no," Tasuki shook his head, giving Yume a gentle noogie. "It's more like the words are a trigger, and you let your life force coax out the fire. The more chi ya put into it, the more powerful the inferno."

"Oh! That's really awesome, Tasuki!"

"Yeah," he agreed, a stupid smile creeping across his lips. "Sure was fun to flame Tamahome all those times. We used to brawl all the time... he was the brother I never had." He fell silent, reminiscing about time long past. Yume looked at him sadly, feeling out of place all of a sudden.

"You fell in love with Miaka, didn't you?"

He glanced up at her, and the look in his golden eyes was enough. Then he turned away, running one hand through his fiery locks of hair. "She wasn't meant to be mine. Tama had her heart from th' beginnin'. I was no competition to the love they had... so I spent all my time protecting them. If she was happy... if _they_ were happy, then I was, too.

"I tried to hurt Miaka, once... I was possessed by a water demon, but it preyed on my hidden love for her. I almost..." his voice cracked, "I almost raped her, Yume... but Tama showed up just in time... to stop me. I regained control for a moment, just long enough to drive the demon out..." Tasuki kicked at the floor angrily, hands balled into tight fists. "I never deserved their forgiveness... but after that I swore never to let anything come in between them. I finally saw how happy she was with him, and though she loved me, too, it wasn't the same way."

He felt arms around him, and turned to hug Yume back tightly. "I'm sorry Yume, I didn't want to burden ya with all that."

"It's okay, Tasuki-chan," she soothed. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah... right..." he murmured, thinking about Chichiri. The two hadn't talked much since the first day of Yume's training, and it almost seemed like the monk was avoiding him and Yume both.

As if to echo his concerns, the girl spoke up, "I wonder what Chichiri's doing. I haven't seen him in a long time... outside of helping me with magic, that is. Is he all right, Tasuki?"

"I wish I knew, Yume. I wish I knew."

The night found Yume back in the gardens, though not for practice. Dressed in her old clothing for a change, she let her hair sit loose over her shoulders as she sat beneath a sakura tree. Gazing up at the stars through the fragrant flowers, she named each constellation of Suzaku as Tasuki had shown them to her.

"Nuriko... Hotohori... Mitsukake... Chiriko... Tamahome... Tasuki... and Chichiri." Mention of the monk's name sent her heart into a downward spiral, but she shoved the feeling away as she picked up the notebook and pencil from beside her. She turned to the page with Chichiri on it, flipped it over. Not knowing what image would come to life on the paper, Yume placed her pencil on the clean white sheet, and fell into a meditative trance.

Yume didn't know how long she had been mindlessly sketching, but the next thing she registered was a ghostly silhouette forming in front of her.

'So you're Yume, huh?' it said in a distinctly feminine voice, but despite the unfamiliarity, the girl _knew_ who it was. The figure smiled approvingly, walking up to embrace the surprised priestess.

"Am I dreaming? I thought you were..."

'Dead?' the ghost pouted, long bangs falling over intense violet eyes. 'Yes, sadly enough I am, and yes, you're dreaming all right. You can't see me outside dream-form, even though you're my new Priestess.'

"So you know, about everything?"

'I know about Munashii, yes. The rest of us have been looking in on his mountain, where he's stirring up a lot of trouble. It's a chilling place, even to a dead guy... anyway, that's not what I came here for.'

"What, then? Some kind of other trouble?"

Nuriko pursed his lips, brushing Yume's hair behind one ear in a sisterly -- or was it brotherly? -- fashion. 'You could say that. I'm not allowed to reveal much... but what I can say is to not give up on Chichiri. He cares for you more than he has for anyone else... he just doesn't know how to show it yet.'

"But... he hates me after seeing his scar! And I don't know how I feel about him..."

A laugh. 'I think you do, silly Yume. And he doesn't hate you, not in the least. Chichiri... has always been careful to not betray any weakness to anyone. He hides behind his mask so that he can help others, even when he's hurting inside.'

"Tasuki... he told me that Chichiri went through... something traumatic. Are you allowed to tell me what it is?"

The cross-dresser let out a breath of air, rolling his eyes. 'Leave it to that lunkhead to spill the beans. I think Mr. Monk will have to tell you all of it himself... but I will say that he's been haunted for almost ten years... for killing someone he loved dearly. He doesn't want you to know that, because he's afraid you'll reject him.'

"He... did? But if it was someone that close to him, then he must have had a reason, right?"

He nodded. 'You could say that. But like I said, it's up to Chichiri when to tell you. Because of what happened, he's drawn himself into a deep depression and won't let anyone near his heart. That's why he's been so distant from you.'

Yume looked down at her feet for a long time, then finally back to face Nuriko. "What do I need to do?"

'Confront him with your true feelings. Then we'll know for sure...'

"Know what for sure?"

'I have to go, Yume... they're calling me back. Good luck!'

"Wait, Nuriko!" she reached out to the spirit, but he had already faded into a red mist...

_Take good care of him... he needs you..._

"Yume... Yume...NOOO!" Chichiri jerked awake, his heart pounding and skin damp with cold sweat. He raised a hand to his forehead, frantically trying to reach a calmer state. He brushed his bangs away annoyedly, chest heaving from memories of the dream... _No_, he growled, _it was a **nightmare**..._

'So you've seen what is to come, already?' A red light formed in one corner of his room, causing the monk to look up and gasp. 'I see you're still troubled.'

"Mitsukake!" Chichiri exclaimed, a tear welling in his mahogany eye. "What are you doing here?"

The physician took a seat in a nearby chair, resting his head on crossed arms. He looked the same as Chichiri remembered; short black hair sticking straight up and held by two headbands, one purple, one yellow; a warm green tunic that he'd worn in the mountains clothed his extremely tall form. He didn't answer the monk's question directly, choosing to add one of his own.

'Why do you torture yourself so, Chichiri? I thought you'd gotten past this.'

"You sound like Taiitskun," the azure-haired seishi accused, making a disgusted face. "I can't just up and forget Hikou's death... deaths... and both by my own hand. I have to live with being a murderer for the rest of my life... and I don't want anyone to share in my pain. I can't bring myself to have another person plunge into darkness with me."

Mitsukake gave his friend a sad smile, remembering his own descent into depression and darkness... 'Chichiri, I understand. You know about what happened to Shouka... but have you realized that had I not faced my fears, Miaka would have died?

'I'm not asking you to forget Hikou... but I am asking you to remember yourself, as Ri Houjun. There's a heart inside of you... I've seen it. But as I watched you over time, it grew even more closed to the world, and even to Tasuki, your best friend! And now you, the ever bubbly peacemaker, has even torn apart the heart of our new Priestess.'

The monk lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. "What I did was a mistake, a spell of the night," he said bluntly, and with regret. "The way Yume feels for me is nothing but a young girl's temporary infatuation."

'You speak as if you know.'

"I _do_ know, Mitsukake. She's still just a child. There's no way she could ever feel that way for me." To the monk's astonishment, his friend laughed heartily, gripping the chair for support. He sat up, raising one eyebrow. "Are you all right?"

'Yes... I'm fine... but have you listened to yourself, Chichiri?' the doctor's tone became serious once more. 'Still a child? She's almost in her twenties physically... but maturity-wise she's far above normal. And she loves you, Chichiri; nothing can change that except you.'

"What do you mean?"

'I mean,' he sighed, 'that you've already halfway broken her heart. There's more at stake here than you realize, my friend... Munashii has been preying on your emotions for quite some time now, and with the arrival of Yume matters are far worse.'

"Are you saying..."

'Yes. Munashii is feeding upon your indecision and anguish, and as the most powerful seishi still alive, the power it gives him multiplies tenfold.'

"So that's what Taiitskun meant," Chichiri realized with a start. "That I help decide the outcome of this war because of my own emotions?"

Mitsukake nodded, smiling. 'You're starting to get it. There's more to the story, but you'll have to figure that out on your own. My time is limited here... the rest of us are at Munashii's mountain at the moment, keeping a shield up to prevent him from escaping. You _must_ leave to find those relics, and quickly! We can't hold out for more than another two months, if not less... Good luck, my friend, and protect the Priestess with all of our love.'

"Mitsukake..." But he was gone, faded away into the shadows. The monk cried out in frustration, furious with himself and his stupidity. _Of course the Destroyer would choose me... I was the one most affected by Tenkou's attampt at a takeover. Hikou... what would you have me do?_

Feeling lost and terribly alone, Chichiri rose from his bed. He grabbed his kesa to wrap it around his exposed shoulders, and left his room in search of some form of solace. Heavy footfalls cast a gloomy enchantment over his mind, which had receded into the distant past. The pillars, windows, and fine tapestries of Taiitskun's palace congealed into a messy blur in his eye, as he let go of the moment and let his subconscious take control. 

A wash of cool air brought him back to his senses, as did the fragrance of seasonal cherry blossoms. The monk smiled upon recognizing his favorite tree, where he had long ago carved his seishi symbol into the immortal wood as a promise to protect the Priestess of Suzaku. He'd been young then, young and hurt after the death of Hikou; he sighed, remembering how his solemn vow had given him the strength he needed to move on.

However, this time around, he'd found the vow to be empty, almost meaningless. Ever so slowly, Chichiri's resolve had begun to crumble, beginning shortly after Miaka and Taka had left for good. He found little comfort in confiding to Tasuki, his best friend for eternity... there was just something missing from his surroundings that the blue-haired man couldn't place. But it was Mitsukake's appearance that pulled the strings of his closed heart, forcing him to see the truth. He was lonely; all of the seishi had had their special someone as friend or otherwise, while Chichiri himself was friendly to everyone without any thought of reward.

_I've been a fool..._ he scolded himself gruffly. _Hotohori had Houki and Nuriko... Chiriko had Mitsukake, Tasuki has Kouji... and Miaka had Tamahome. Never once did it hit me how separate I felt, until they were all gone. They were my only family._

Swallowing, Chichiri sat down beneath the whispering branches of flowering sakuras, stretching his tired body against the strong trunk. _I need to talk to Yume... I can't keep this from her any longer. If I'm to protect her from Munashii... she has to know everything._

He reached out with his senses, feeling the life forces of nature all around him, allowed their presence to calm him... and then he felt the spark of another human's chi. The monk's eye opened, and he smirked once he'd recognized whose it was.

_She always seems to sneak up on me._ Peeking around the other side of the tree, Chichiri smiled genuinely at Yume, who lay comfortably on the grass, asleep with her sketchpad cradled in one arm. He moved to sit beside her, watching over the girl as she slumbered.

_Mitsukake was right. She's no child... not in any sense of the word. How blind I've been... was this the doing of the Destroyer? To drive me away from her before anything could happen? Great Suzaku, was this all planned?_

Yume sighed in her sleep, a tear escaping down one cheek to mar her otherwise peaceful features. Chichiri felt his heart ache at the sight; what could be so painful to one still so young and pure? He watched the salty drop descend down to her chin, glittering like a starlit diamond as it fell at last onto the open page of her book. Reaching over to retrieve the item, he nearly dropped it after spying the elaborate designs she had drawn.

There was a perfect replica of Yume, clutching a pillow while tears streaked down her stricken face, blue eyes holding nothing but helplessness and despair. Tasuki held her tightly in his arms, a look of intense anger upon his fiery and lupine features as he regarded the deep shadows surrounding them. The monk looked closer, gasping upon recognizing the ghostly form of Nuriko standing behind them; he was in a defensive stance to ward off the impending danger, but how Yume knew what the cross-dresser looked like was beyond him. In the background was Chichiri himself, holding his staff tightly and staring out at the viewer, maskless. His clothes were in rags, and from his back, there protruded a pair of ash-grey wings, bloody from battle. He stood alone, face set in stony silence and eye glaring accusingly, but also saddened. The symbolism within these images screamed out to Chichiri, clearly conveying the artist's confusion and feelings of disillusionment.

"Yume-chan, no da..." he murmured. "What have I done?" Absently brushing stray bangs from her face, he was startled when Yume leaned up into his warm touch. He felt a shiver run down his spine, though not from fear this time. The next thing he knew, Chichiri was stroking the silky strands of Yume's long brown hair, reveling in the way it felt between his fingers.

The girl shifted in her sleep, mumbling incoherently. She was dreaming, and had been so since Nuriko disappeared. Visions of what was to come filled her mind... images of suffering, pain and turmoil. She saw Suzaku's beast form shot down from the sky, the feline form of Byakko following suit as dark minions gave chase to him...

Yume cried out for the evil to stop, stop hurting them... but as she tried to run and save them a strong arm gripped her elbow. Whirling around, Yume screamed to see a bloody corpse clinging to her, eye burning red in the darkness...

"CHICHIRI!" she screamed, struggling as his arms snaked around her waist and held her close...

_Yume..._

"Yume... Yume-chan, wake up! Wake up, na no da!"

"Let go! Let go!" she sobbed, falling forward onto the monk's chest. Chichiri held her close to him, coaxing the girl awake. "Chichiri..."

"Shh... Yume-chan no da... you're dreaming... it's time to wake up now..." he searched for her chi, comforting it with his own. Immediately she began to calm, though her crying hardly slowed. On the road back to consciousness, she latched onto his kesa in fright, shaking from the vividness of her visions.

_Yume... what do you see?_ He wished he could see what she did, in order to perhaps lessen the pain, but it was impossible. Though the mage was trained to channel another's visions into himself, it was to be used only in a crisis... such a violation of privacy was intolerable to Chichiri.

At last, the girl shook herself awake, promptly gasping in confusion. The seishi held her tightly, whispering "It's me, no da," in her ear.

"C-Chichiri?"

"Hai... you were dreaming, no da... are you all right?"

She visibly relaxed, collapsing into his gentle embrace. "Am I still dreaming... or are you really here... Suzaku, don't ever let me wake up..." Her tears ran anew, and despite his mind screaming _no no no_ over and over, Chichiri felt the walls around his soul crumble from the sound of her crying.

"Iie, Yume-chan no da... I'm here..." Hesitant at first, he raised her chin and brought her face closer. Using his thumbs, the monk softly wiped away her tears while at the same time cradling one cheek. She felt warm under his touch, her eyes haunted and lost as if still in the dream. Then, upon realizing what was happening, slowly backed away from him. Chichiri let her go reluctantly, but lightly grasped her hand so that she couldn't run off as he had done once before.

"Your mask..." she began, but he shook his head.

"I shouldn't have done that to you. You, of all people, need to know the truth about me." Yume found herself holding her breath; he wasn't using the playful 'no da's anymore. She let it out slowly, raising her gaze to meet his.

"Go ahead," she murmured, gesturing. "I'm listening."

He paused before beginning the tale, but a gentle squeeze of his hand provided surprising reassurance. "It was... about ten years ago, maybe a little less. I had two people whom I held more dearly to my heart than anything; one my fiancée -- Kouran -- and the other my best friend, Hikou. We were always together, the three of us... getting into trouble, helping out with the chores... we thought we'd be together forever.

"Then, a few months after I had proposed to Kouran, I went to visit her and found her crying in the corner. I was scared... because somehow I knew what had happened. She told me the exact words I prayed would never leave her lips; that she couldn't marry me. I demanded to know why, but she couldn't answer... it didn't matter, because I knew who had done it.

"And so I confronted Hikou by the river, demanding him to give Kouran back to me. He insisted it was only a kiss and nothing more, that he'd never steal her away from me even though he loved her... but I was so angry I pulled a knife. We struggled beneath a raging storm, until he backed too far into the riverbank and fell in. By then the floods had come, and he was barely holding on to a fallen stump. I reached for him, all anger forgotten... but I didn't see the log coming at me. It hit my face..." he traced his scar, "and I let go of him. I never should have let go of Hikou... not only did I lose him, but my entire family and Kouran in the same flood.

"I never saw him again, until one year ago while fighting Tenkou. A demon had possessed my best friend and saved him from the raging water... and I was forced into killing him again. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life... but in the end... he saved me and forgave everything. I was so ready to die with him that time... I didn't want to let go of him again..." Chichiri's eye teared up, his voice thick with emotion. "I didn't want to keep from you, Yume... the fact that I was a murderer. I didn't want you to be afraid of me... or hate me for what I had done. Please forgive my selfishness..."

He looked back at the girl, who raised her lips to meet his in the softest of touches. "It wasn't your fault, Chichiri. You had to save Miaka and the others... and Hikou forgave you, didn't he? He wanted you to move on, to love again. It's no fun being alone... and it burns a deep hole in your heart."

"You..."

"I've been alone my entire life, Chichiri. Aside from family and a few friends, no one ever really cared about me. That's why I don't talk, or even trust anyone at first; they either try to take advantage of me, or end up leaving me." The words reverberated in the mage's mind, echoing his own past and loneliness. Unconsciously he drew her closer, staring deep into the crystal blue that held so much caring for him...

"Yume..." he breathed into her ear. "I swear... I won't let anything happen to you. Nothing will come between us, and you'll never be alone again... so long as you'll have me."

"What? You mean..."

"Wo ai ni, Yu-chan. Aishiteru." Swiftly, he ensnared her into a passionate kiss, which was returned with equal vigor, her arms winding around his neck to being them closer together. Chichiri felt as if he were on fire, his hands clamping firmly on her waist securely.

Yume gasped from the intensity of his kisses, finally breaking away breathlessly. She knew her face was flushed, and her heart was beating like a caged butterfly's wings. Never before had she felt this way around a man... and never had she dreamed of someone loving her back. Hoped, yes... but to feel so safe in one's arms, to be held and revel in the safety that embrace promised... it was an entirely new experience that she prayed would never die.

"I love you, Chichiri..." she whispered, resting her head against his warm shoulder. He replied, but she couldn't hear; she'd fallen asleep from the warmth of his body and the sound of his steady heartbeat.

*****

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Notes: Well, I hadn't meant to bring them together quite so soon, but it's funny how things work out sometimes, ne? I know Chichiri-chan seemed a bit OOC, but he had his reasons, no da. **Next in Part Two! The quest for the four sacred relics begins; can Yume find the strength to protect the seishi from Munashii's evil plans? What does the Destroyer have in store for her?**


	7. Encounter

**__**

Chapter Six: Encounter

Author's Notes: Sorry to take so long with this. School starts soon for me, and it's been really busy. Anyway, enjoy and please review! 

*****

Yume awakened much in the same manner as she'd fallen into slumber; feeling safe and warm in the arms of a certain blue-haired monk, who had leaned back against the sakura tree to catch some sleep as well. Unconsciously nuzzling the toned, bare chest, one gentle hand tightly grasped the sweet-smelling kesa about his shoulders as the dappled sunlight pulled her into reality.

As she stirred, so did the mage, who in turn tightened his grip around Yume's slender waist and adjusted his position around her. The girl smiled up at Chichiri's peaceful features, placing a butterfly kiss on his exposed collarbone.

"Mmm... Yu-chan? Is that you?" he murmured, opening his chocolate brown eye to meet her crystal blue ones. She smiled again, the memories of the night previous causing a tingle to run down her spine, the knot in her stomach to slowly unwind, releasing a cage of butterflies to dance about her heart in carefree merriment. They rose in unison to shaky feet, only to fall against one another in a passionate embrace, then a lingering kiss. All too soon, Chichiri pulled away, though his gaze betrayed regret.

"We don't want Tasuki and the others to worry, no da," he said playfully, tapping a finger on her nose. "We leave in a few hours to retrieve the relics."

A surge of fear rolled over Yume, but she shoved the feeling aside to make room for determination and hope. "I understand."

***

Tasuki had been reclining comfortably in one of the smaller dining halls of Taikyoku, when a sight greeted him from the entrance that sent the bandit to the floor, sprawling, in shock.

"Erm, Tasuki-kun no da?" a familiar genki voice inquired with apparent amusement. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no! Nothing's wrong! No way!" the brigand stuttered, though his eyes were wide as saucers. There was Chichiri, his best friend whom he'd thought doomed to be alone for eternity, clasping hands with the girl who had fallen into their world -- mere days ago -- with the destiny to save their very existence. As the shock began to melt away and his heart regained its normal rhythm, Tasuki also raised a silent, but all the more questioning eyebrow in reference to the monk's apparent state of undress; clad only in his forest-green pants and his kesa around one shoulder, he made for an interesting sight. Picking up on the unspoken accusation, Chichiri immediately began to blush, glaring denial in daggers from his single eye.

"Good morning, Tasuki," Yume chirped, reviving both men from their stare-down. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yeah," he answered with his famous fanged grin, then muttering under his breath, "…at least I _slept_…" However, sharp ears picked up on the comment, and the redhead was immediately sent flying into the wall by his own tessen.

"Taiitskun!" Yume and Chichiri exclaimed in unison, Yume hiding behind the monk in surprise. _It's too early in the morning to see _her_ face,_ she thought to herself with a stifled gag and giggle. Chichiri, too, muffled his own chuckle at her reaction, but his face remained serious as he regarded his sensei.

The old woman glared at them all, completely aware of what was transpring, but having taken out her anger on the currently cursing bandit, she merely sighed and sweatdropped before beginning to speak.

"Priestess and Seishi. Today you begin your journey for the four sacred relics of Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku and Seiryuu. Are you prepared to take on this burden? For if you fail to return with all four, Munashii will win and our world shall cease to exist."

"Hai, Taiitskun," Yume stepped forward, raising her head high. "I… no, _we_ won't let you down."

The Creator smiled. "Very well then. As promised, I entrust to you this ancient scroll, which provides clues leading to the secret grottoes where the relics lie. Only you, Priestess, are able to read this parchment, aside from myself. This is for your own protection, and also to ensure that this information does not fall into the wrong hands.

"Even now Munashii sends his minions to lie in wait for your passing… you must defeat them, and not allow their deceptive and manipulative nature to sway your loyalties. Over these scant few days the three of you have formed a strong bond; trust in it indefinitely, and you will persevere."

"We are ready," Chichiri spoke up, taking Yume's hand in his own. 

Tasuki rose to his feet to stand beside his two friends, clear confidence flaring in his lupine golden eyes. "Yeah, we're ready."

"Very well then. You have two hours; meet me in the shrine then."

***

Yume walked alone to her chambers, greeting Nyan-Nyan as she popped up at her door. The childlike spirit was, as usual, full of mirth, but at the same time expressed sadness that her new friend would soon be departing.

"Nyan-Nyan want to go on quest too!"

The girl laughed as the packed her blue bag. "I know you do, but I'm sure Taiitskun needs you here. I have Chichiri and Tasuki to protect me form Munashii."

"Priestess can take care of herself! No need seishi!"

She raised an inquiring eyebrow at the green-haired girl. "What do you mean, Nyan-Nyan? I'm not that powerful… Chichiri is at least ten times stronger than I am!"

The child giggled wildly. "Power of one not enough to defeat Munashii! _Only when souls of harmony strike the chords of time to rise above the blood and sorrow, will the world be reborn from the angels fallen and vanquish the impending darkness_!" Then Nyan-Nyan disappeared in a puff of pink smoke, her chiming laughter still tickling the girl's ears as if in echo of her presence.

_A riddle?_ Yume thought as she turned back to her work. _I wonder what it means. 'souls of harmony?' I guess that could mean a spell. But what of 'reborn' and 'angels fallen?' Jeez, I was never good at these sorts of things. I'm an artist, not a thinker._

"I wonder if I'm ready for this," she continued aloud, stuffing some extra clothes from the closet into the small knapsack she was given. "I've only been learning how to defend myself for a short time… how can I hope to be able to fight the Destroyer's demons?"

_You're right,_ a voice from within her hissed. _You're still weak, and will have to depend on Chichiri and Tasuki all of the time… and you know they won't like that._

"But I won't let them defend me. I can take care of myself. I don't need their protection."

_There's nothing you can do about having no power. Maybe it's not too late to give up and go home. Yes, home… where life is simple and quiet…_

"…but without Chichiri."

_You'll have to leave here eventually… would Chichiri go too? Would he leave this world to chase a lovestruck girl from another world?_

"Taka did."

_He's not Taka, and this isn't a romance novel. Life isn't fair, and love doesn't exist. You know that; you've always believed it was phony…_

"Wait a second…" Yume gasped as the voice gained volume in her mind, drowning out all thoughts other than those of doubt. "You're…"

_Ah, so the pretty little Priestess finally acknowledges me. Should I be honored?_

"Get out of my head, Munashii."

_And she calls me by name! Such grace she bestows upon me,_ the voice cackled darkly. _How easy it is to bring your darkest thoughts to the surface…_ The girl felt herself collapsing to the floor, her gaze twisting upwards to a darkened silhouette in her mirror. Lifeless silver eyes seemed to leer down at her from a featureless face and form, boring into her soul as if to cleave it in two with a mere glance. Though frightened, Yume stared right back at the evil deity, her own stormy orbs glazed with fury.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else with your heartless destruction," she stated, drawing a bone-chilling laugh from her tormentor.

_Indeed? And how do you propose to do that, little Yume? You're powerless against me, even with your seishi. They're even easier to bend to my will… would you like me to demonstrate?_

"Leave them alone," she growled, daring him to make a move. "I won't lose to you."

_Oh? Shall we test this theory?_ The shadow raised one arm, flexing a fist tauntingly towards her. Then, with a quick snap of the wrist, Yume was clutching her head in agony as a shrill sound ripped through it relentlessly, growing higher and higher in pitch than she ever thought possible. Gritting her teeth even as a sickeningly harmonious scream tore from her own throat, she plunged into the depths of her consciousness for the barrier spell Chichiri had taught her only days before.

_There's no one to help you now, little one; what will you do now?_ Munashii mocked, as he increased the power of his spell against the seemingly helpless Priestess.

Yume threw her head back in frustration, screaming out mindless obscenities intermingles with a desperate call to the monk she loved so dearly. _Please, Chichiri, give me strength… Suzaku, let him hear me!_ She cried out mentally, tears flowing down her cheeks and matting silky brown hair to her face. Her hands clenched into such tight fists that her nails drew crimson crescent moons from aching palms, the evil god's laughter howling like the wind of a maelstrom all around her body…

***

"Chiri? What's wrong?" Tasuki asked of his friend, who had frozen mid-step. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Yume…" was all the monk replied before his eye clouded, and he fell into a deep trance.

***

Suddenly, everything she heard and felt began to numb as a coolness spread over Yume's fallen form. Absently she wondered if she was dying, until a familiar chi reached out to caress hers. Like frigid spring water it was, purifying her mind of the anguish and torment brought by the Destroyer's torrents of taunts and lies, filling her with a strength that was so new, but felt so right...

It was as if he were right there with her, chanting the barrier spell in perfect synch as her lips mouthed the words from memory. Munashii's jeers immediately silenced, cruel and contemptuous curiosity overcoming the sinister deity as he watched.

Yume's eyes snapped open, irises now tinted with hues of bloody crimson. Feeling the spiritual embrace of Suzaku, she began a second spell; one to banish the demon Munashii back to his mountain. Her tongue rolled in the ancient language of the gods, each precise enunciation enough to remind one of the pounding of steel nails into a newly-carved wooden coffin... 

__

You know this isn't the last of me... your little magic trick can only last so long. I'll be back, Priestess, and you won't escape me! Black light flashed like lightning over the mirror and through the room, and then Munashii was gone, fading laughter the only trace of his earlier presence. The girl collapsed again onto the floor, though this time from exhaustion as the power of the phoenix god left her body, as well as that of Chichiri. She smiled at the thought of her azure-haired seishi, silently thanking him before fainting into a dreamless void.

***

"Chichiri! Chichiri!" Tasuki shouted as he shook the monk with almost murderous vigor, so intense was his fear. It appeared as though the mage wasn't even breathing, though upon a closer scrutiny one could tell that he was, but just barely. However, hysteria had set in with the fiery bandit just as his fellow seishi had fallen into a nearly comatose state, eye blankly staring forward and his lips moving to speak the words of some ancient language Tasuki didn't recognize.

"Dammit, wake up already! Yer scarin' me, this isn't funny!" he continued to yell, tightening his grip on his friend's shoulders. "Chiri!"

"Fix! Fix!" Nyan-Nyan instantly appeared, floating over to Chichiri's side, her mouth grimly set into a deep frown. "Bad Munashii... bad bad... hurt Priestess, hurt Chichiri-san..."

"Munashii?" the redhead gasped. "You mean that bastard did this to Chichiri?"

But it wasn't Nyan-Nyan who responded.

__

Yes, the Destroyer has done this, and now things are far worse than you realize, Tasuki. 

A figure cloaked in red light appeared before the two seishi, and the bandit gasped in a mixture of awe and almost horror as he recognized the coalescing shape...

*****

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Author's Notes: I know, I know, I'm terrible. Gomen nasai for it being so short, but the next chapter should be out tomorrow.

__

Next Chapter: The journey to retrieve the first of the relics begins, but why isn't Chichiri waking up? With some unexpected aid, Tasuki rushes to Yume's room to discover the source of the problem…


	8. Spirit

**__**

Chapter Seven: Spirit

Author's Notes: *bows* Gomen nasai, minna. My server went down yesterday, and my computer froze, so I ended up retyping half of this in a hurried frenzy today. I hope this draft is as good as the first… thank you all for your patience and kind reviews ^_^ Please enjoy this next chapter.

*****

Tasuki gaped, mouth open in shock in recognition of his old comrade... and close friend.

"Chiriko!"

The boy smiled warmly, in that charming manner that had always painfully reminded the bandit of just how young he had been at the time of his death... Clear eyes of forest green still held pure innocence despite the horrors and bloodshed he'd witnessed, and Tasuki once more felt the bond between brothers that he'd never experienced with any of the other Suzaku warriors.

__

Yes, my friend, I am here, though not for long.

"I-I thought you guys had already been reborn!"

A small, knowing smile. No matter what anyone else would say, Chiriko had realized from the beginning that Tasuki's mind was sharper than any knife; sometimes, it was just difficult to get past that thick skull of his.

__

There will always be some echo of our lives in this world, so long as we're not forgotten. However, our combined efforts are unable to contain Munashii for much longer... I can only remain with you long enough to help Chichiri.

As always, the boy spoke in riddles and avoided the point, but the living seishi caught the gist of his meaning, and he didn't like it one bit. "What's wrong with him?"

__

It seems the Destroyer tried to harm our new Priestess, and she called out to Chichiri in her plight. Because of their still weak, but slowly strengthening bond, he left his body in order to save her from danger.

"Yes! Yes! Chiriko speaks truth!" Nyan-Nyan interrupted in a frenzy. "Yume-sama in danger! Chichiri-san save her, but not know how to return!"

"But what're _we_ supposed to do?" Tasuki growled.

Chiriko closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. _It appears as though Yume has driven Munashii away for now, but there is still a dimensional barrier around her room; this is what's preventing Chichiri from returning to his body._

"So what're we sitting _here_ for? Let's go!" Carefully leaving the monk in the hands of Nyan-Nyan, who reluctantly stayed by the mage's side, Tasuki leapt to his feet and motioned for Chiriko to follow him, leading the way to the Priestess's chambers.

__

~~~

Yume...

"Chichiri?"

__

Wake up, Yume.

She tried... oh, how she tried to raise herself to her knees, to open her eyes. She knew they'd been victorious for the time being, but why did her body feel so tired? Like she wanted to rest...

__

No, no Yume! Don't give in. Be strong, no da!

"I... can't move, Chichiri. What's wrong with me?"

__

It's the barrier Munashii put up, just as we banished him, no da. He's trying to drain your power, and is keeping me from returning to my physical form. At his confession, the girl worked all the more to regain control of her mind and body. She began to feel his chi, so near but yet far away, as if in a different dimension. Straining, Yume tried to remember what had happened as she battled with Munashii; she recalled the power of Suzaku surrounding her and giving her strength, and the spirit of Chichiri joining her in chanting the spell...

"And this barrier... it's keeping you here?"

__

Yes. Even now, Tasuki is hurrying here to free us, but he can't do it without your help... and if I stay this way for much longer, na no da, I won't be able to rejoin my flesh.

"You mean..."

__

Don't say it, Yume. Don't even think it. I don't regret doing what I did, because in the end it saved you. But you have to be strong, Yu-chan... If not for me, then for this world. Though she couldn't see him, Yume almost felt those strong arms surround her fallen form, filling her with warmth comparable to the flames of Suzaku's own aura. A rush of energy caused to limbs to tingle and jerk, her muscles begining to spasm as she started to move on her own once more.

__

That's it... I know you can do it, Yume...

"Ahhh..." she moaned as her eyelids rose against the weights pulling them down, refusing to blink even as the lights of the room assaulted her crystal-blue orbs. She could sense the barrier, and now saw a shimmering black wall of pulsing energy placed over the walls like a dense curtain.

Yume painstakingly grasped her bedpost for dear life, fighting against the dark energy with every ounce of her will. One inch, then another; legs screamed in silent agony as her weight was forced upon them, and knees threatened to buckle from their insistent rattling. Even with the mage lending her his strength, so much effort was wasted in the simple action of standing.

__

They're coming... Chichiri assured her, though it was clear he was weakening fast. Yume cursed her inability to help, but waited for Tasuki to arrive with the last of her patience.

~~~

"Here it is!" the bandit shouted, eyes narrowing as he sensed an evil force surrounding the room. Chiriko abruptly halted just outside the entrance, face contorted into a look of intense concentration.

__

I can sense them inside... I should be able to reach them if my life force is lowered enough. Tasuki, I'll need you to use your fire to weaken the barrier so that I can pass through, but do so only when I give the word, and don't stop until you can no longer feel my energy, all right?

The redhead nodded grimly, though he didn't like the idea one little bit. However, the thought of what would happen if Chichiri couldn't return to his body appealed to him even less... and so he placed his faith in the scholarly seishi before him, having no other to turn to for aid.

Tasuki readied himself, moving into position and feeling the familiar surge of chi that allowed his 'wing' character to flare up on one arm, and his tessen to crackle with seething energy. He held the power in check, however, for timing was of the utmost importance in a delicate situation as the one he had found himself entangled within.

__

All right... get ready, Tasuki, we're only going to have one shot at this... Chiriko shut his eyes tightly, and the red aura that normally surrounded him began to fade rapidly. The bandit inhaled sharply as his friend's life force plummeted almost to zero, but gulped down his anxiety despite the tightening knot that curled inside his stomach.

__

NOW! The boy shouted, snapping the fiery seishi back to reality.

__

"REKKA SHINEN!" Tasuki shouted, swiping the tessen in a single downward stroke, golden eyes boiling with unkempt fury as the flames erupted violently against the barrier. Immediately after making contact he felt the recoil of dark power, but strengthened the energy of the blaze even as Munashii's barrier tried to bounce it back.

__

I'm almost through... keep going, Tasuki! Almost... _I can--_ Chiriko pushed against the barrier with one shoulder, barely visible through the surrounding energy of the bandit's rage. Small hands braced against the heavy wooden doors, slender fingers digging into the sputtering black curtain as it collapsed for a split second...

The boy's chi disappeared, and the brigand halted his attack with great reluctance. _Good luck, Chiriko,_ he thought as he wiped the beading sweat from his furrowed brows. _We're all gonna need it._

Yume's head snapped up involuntarily as she sensed the arrival of... another Suzaku Seishi?

__

Masaka... Chichiri gasped, his spirit-form fluctuating wildly. _Chiriko? Why are you..._

There is no time to explain now, the boy raised a hand to halt any protest, and turned his emerald gaze to the Priestess grimly. _You are Yume?_

"I am."

__

I am pleased to see you are holding up well, though I regret we could not have met under different circumstances. But you must hear my words and heed them carefully, for both my power and Chichiri's can only last so long. The source of this barrier is within the confines of the room; a tangible object that once destroyed, will release and dissipate Munashii's power. It is imperative that you find this object, and quickly.

"But... I don't know what it could be! There are dozens of things in this room! Isn't there another way of doing it?"

__

Yume no da, the monk chided her gently, though his thoughts betrayed an undertone of pain. _The only remaining option is to destroy the entire room, including yourself, which is exactly what Munashii wants us to do. Think, Yu-chan no da... was there anything in particular that caught your attention while the Destroyer was attacking you?_

The girl weakly clutched at her head, waves of agony ripping through it as if to cause the memories to wash away on a tide of darkness. "I can't remember... it's so fuzzy now..."

__

Yume, you must try no da...

Chiriko looked upon this desperate exchange in frustration, wondering if there was a way he could aid them both. He noted with horror that Chichiri's chi was beginning to fade completely... they had only minutes left, if that long. If only he'd been there while Yume was attacked... if only he could have seen what see had seen... if only...

__

Yume! Open your heart to me!

"What?" she asked, eyes red from the tears already threatening to fall. "What are you--"

__

Just do it!

Chichiri caught on quickly, nodding his head in agreement. _Yume-chan, Chiriko is going to use his spirit form to possess you for a moment, to help you find the lost memory. Clear your mind and accept his, no da!_

Still confused but aware that no other alternative remained, Yume nodded and closed her eyes. Chiriko took a deep breath before floating closer to his Priestess, placing a hand on the crown of her head. She flinched just slightly from the contact, but forced herself to stay still. Then, the boy seishi took a step forward _into_ her body, and she felt his chi envelop hers.

Yume sensed his mind mixing with hers, and tried to stifle her fear and confusion from the strange images and visions that coursed over her. Soon everything muddled into a grey mist, as Chiriko sorted through both sets of memories. She could feel everything he felt: the desperation, the hurried and frantic sifting and shuffling through years upon years of experience in two very different lives...

__

Concentrate on what happened! She heard him call out to her. Yume responded by recalling the dark silhouette, the crazed deep voice, and the sinister cackle that could freeze blood...

__

That's it... that's it! The boy thought excitedly, as the single moment became clearer. It seemed as though a door had suddenly been unlocked, and the answer lay before them bright as day.

__

"The mirror!" they shouted in unison, and as one, they turned to face the offending object, which began to pulse with black energy as if in defiance of its discovery. Yume's anger rose to the fore, filling her again with a familiar power she'd only recently learned to control...

__

Yume no da! The disenchantment ward! Cast it now!

"Powers that course, powers that bend, magical scheme, come now to an end!" Yume chanted, feeling the voice of Chiriko joining hers.

__

"What mischief you cause, what you ensnare in your song... desert this place now, leave us, be GONE!" The red aura grew brighter, more radiant as they repeated the chant, but still it did not seem enough to bring down the barrier. The clang of shakujou rings could be heard in the distance, and Chichiri's own tenor added to the power of the incantation.

__

~~~

Tasuki remained as he had once Chiriko had vanished beyond the barrier, searching frantically for any sign of change in the black curtain. Gritting his teeth, he gripped the handle of his tessen so tightly that the sharp edges began to draw blood from his palm.

A high-pitched squeak jerked him from surveying the scene with intense scrutiny, and Nyan-Nyan popped up in front of the bandit.

"Tasuki-kun! Tasuki-kun! Chichiri-sama's not breathing!"

This only made the bandit more agitated, as he wiped the cold sweat form his brow. "Shit... what're we gonna... hey, Nyan-Nyan! What's happening?!"

Sure enough, voices could be heard from the other side of the wall, red light piercing in tiny shafts from the confines of the barrier. Nyan-Nyan gasped excitedly, clapping her hands in delight.

"They found the spell source!!! Tasuki-kun can help now!" Not waiting for a reply, the childlike entity flitted over to a point on the wall where the energy seemed most concentrated, jabbing a finger wildly at the spot. "Here! Here! Hit here!"

"You're sure?!"

"Yes! Yes! Now!"

"Okay then... _REKKA SHINEN!!!"_ A concentrated column of flame tore into the designated target, causing Nyan-Nyan to shriek in terror and move aside. Feeling the walls of energy beginning to give, the bandit increased the power of his blast.

__

"HAKUROEN!"

~~~

Just a little bit more power... Yume said to herself, straining every fiber of her being to focus on the mirror. Chiriko did so as well, but his powers were limited due to his lack of a true physical form... and as for Chichiri...

__

I can't hold on much longer, no da...

"No! Please... we almost have it," she pleaded, forcing back the twin rivulets that stung her eyes like a horde of wasps as she refused to let them run their course down her face. "You can't give up now..."

__

I'm sorry Yume... Forgive me, please...

"NO!" she cried out, waves of energy crashing over her body. "I won't let you leave, Chichiri!"

In a last ditch effort, the girl spread her arms apart, feeling the power pulse from her mind down to her very fingertips. Sending her own life force outwards to replenish the lost energy, Yume screamed one last time and allowed herself to be engulfed by the spell she cast.

__

~~~

They all felt it when the mirror chattered into thousands of tiny shards, sensed the barrier falling with a sickening sizzle and crackle of dark electricity. Tasuki burst inside the room with a flourish, only to halt at the sight of the girl's glowing form. Even as Chiriko's spirit extricated itself from her body, still she was surrounded by a holy aura of bloodiest crimson. Her eyes seemed to radiate with chi, having changed into a midnight blue color... almost black.

Chichiri, having found his spirit freed of its confines, fleetingly returned to his body without delay. It seemed that no time had passed when the monk weakly teleported back to join his comrades, accompanied by Nyan-Nyan.

"Yume no da!" he exclaimed, in awe of the sight of her simply floating above the ground effortlessly. She did not stir for a moment, but finally her gaze swiveled to rest upon him. Her eyes flickered back to their normal soft azure, and a relieved smile graced her tear-streaked features.

"Chichiri!" she leaped into his arms from thin air itself, knocking the both of them over and sending them sprawling on the ground in a tight embrace. "I was so scared I'd lose you!"

"Never, Yume no da," he reassured the Priestess gently, stroking her hair affectionately. "I would never leave your side, even in death."

__

As it should be, Chiriko commented with a small smile. _You two deserve one another. Use your love as protection, for as it never failed Tamahome and Miaka, so shall it always bring you strength as well._ And with these words and a final nod to Tasuki, who stood transfixed as he stared at the scene, the boy vanished in a shimmer of light.

"I'm glad he could be of service to you," added a rough voice from the doorway. The bandit turned, and immediately shrieked in terror.

"SUNUKAKE BABA!"

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*thwack* 

Veins began popping out of Taiitskun's forehead, her closed fist shaking in silent rage. But once the shock had passed, the deity regained her composure and coughed delicately into her hand.

"Now then. Very well done, Yume; I'm impressed to see that you've already begun to rein in your abilities far beyond what I've imagined."

"And just where were _you_ when all this was happening, huh?" Tasuki demanded, on his feet and apparently already recovered from the first blow... however, he was once again caught off-guard by the second, aimed right at his nose. He flew into a nearby wall, the foundation denting into the shape of his body.

"Listen here, you," Taiitskun glared, "While you all were fighting the barrier, I was busy keeping Munashii himself at bay! Once I found out that he had penetrated Taikyoku, it was imperative that I focus my energies on creating a ward against him. However, he had already set up the mirror spell... but you took care of that, obviously."

"And he was trying to kill Yume?" Chichiri asked, releasing the girl to stand before his sensei. Taiitskun gave him a look of distant pity, but to everyone's surprise, shook her head.

"No. It appears that Yume's attack was a diversion; there was an intruder in the palace who was looking for the holy scroll."

"Intruder?" Tasuki gaped, rubbing his bloodied nose. "Why couldn't we sense 'im? Is the scroll still intact?"

"Baka," the Creator frowned. "That scroll cannot be destroyed; it was made by the gods themselves and can only be destroyed by the gods. Even I have no power over its fate. And as for the intruder, I myself do not know how he entered here, but it is clear that this place is no longer a safe haven for you."

"We're ready to leave," Yume interjected quietly, raising her eyes at last. "Just give the word and we'll be on our way; there's no time to be wasted. Where can I find the scroll, Taiitskun?"

Taken aback by her blunt honesty, the deity raised an eyebrow before allowing herself to chuckle. "All right then, if that's your decision, Priestess. Nyan-Nyan!"

"Heeeerrreee!" the sprite popped up, all smiles as usual. With a gesture from the Creator, she pulled out a white bundle from the sleeve of her robes. "Scroll!"

Yume took the cloth into her hands, feeling holy power flow through her from the touch. Unwrapping it, a silver cylindrical case was revealed, with golden busts of the four gods and their beast forms adorning the surface in intricate carvings. There were, in addition, four jewels that glowed brightly from one end of the canister: a blood ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond, encrusted together into the shape of an ancient kanji for 'light'.

"The parchment with the clues is inside," Taiitskun explained. "But take care not to lose that casing, either. The gems will flare with chi once you've neared the vicinity of one of the relics; they can sense the objects if they are within perhaps a two-mile radius."

"I understand," the girl replied, clasping the object firmly in one hand. Then, glancing at it for a moment, took a chain that hung from one end and tied it to her belt. "We're ready now."

The old woman gave a calculated nod, then closed her eyes and began to chant. However, Nyan-Nyan popped up once more to shout "Wait! Wait!", earning her a first-class seat to the nearest wall, imprinting it beside Tasuki's outline.

"What do you want now, you runt of a nanny?" the crone bellowed, agitated that she had been interrupted. The girl pulled herself out of where she was embedded, pouting at the deity accusingly.

"Priestess-sama forget this!" she pulled the blue bag out of one sleeve, then her notebook from the other. "See? Not good to leave here, especially with such beautiful drawings!" Yume blushed, hiding behind Chichiri shyly.

"Aw, man Yume!" Tasuki whined. "How could you forget yer book! Those pictures are so cool!"

"You are an artist?" Taiitskun inquired, suddenly intrigued. "Nyan-Nyan, bring that here." The child obliged, much to Yume's embarrassment, and the deity flipped through the colorful images with a delighted interest. When she was done, the book floated over to Yume, who snatched it up clutched it to her tightly, her face red.

"You have an unmatched talent, child," the old woman smiled gently, "I have a feeling that it will be important for you in the future, and have decided to give you a gift."

"A gift? But you've already done so much for us!"

"Be still, Priestess. I give you this because I feel you deserve such a boon, after the great courage you've shown to save one of your seishi." A quick chant sent Taiitskun's hand aglow, the light congealing into a small silver object. It was an ink brush, the end already dipped in fine black ink.

"Use this well, it will prove its value soon enough." The object flew into the girl's open hands, who stared at it in astonishment.

"Now, off you go!" Another string of ancient words, and Yume, Tasuki and Chichiri were sent flying into a dimensional vortex, disappearing from Mt. Taikyoku.

"Good luck!" Nyan-Nyan chirped after them, waving.

__

~~~

Once Yume's body materialized, she saw that her surroundings had changed drastically. The mild mountain climate of Taikyoku was no longer; now they were in a clearing of dense dry grasses, and in the distance a harsh, hot wind blew sand into their faces.

"Where are we?" she asked to no one in particular, turning as she sensed Tasuki's hand on her shoulder. He walked up to her silently, clothing still a bit dirty from Taiitskun's harsh beatings and tessen once more strapped into the jeweled holster on his back.

"We're at the edge of Sailou," he said, "the empire of Byakko, the white tiger."

"Byakko..." a shiver jerked involuntarily down Yume's spine as she was reminded of the dream she'd had the night before... a tiger running through the grass, pursued by dark minions as their flaming arrows singed his fur and seared his flesh, blood pouring from multiple wounds as he fell motionless at last onto the battlegrounds...

"Yume?"

She gasped, whirling around to face Tasuki. Disoriented, her body leaned on its own over to the side, but the bandit caught her just in time. 

"Jeez, yer not used to teleportation, are ya?"

"She's not used to the kind of strain this mission is putting her through, no da," Chichiri piped up as he appeared in front of them, shakujou in hand and face stern through the mask he'd donned once more. "We need to find horses; as we're not fully into the desert there should be an inn nearby, no da. We're all exhausted from today's ordeal, and perhaps we should wait until nightfall to begin the search. It's won't be so hard to travel at night, no da."

"Good idea," Yume answered, nodding. "I haven't ridden a horse in a long time; it'll be refreshing."

"Doubt that," Tasuki grumbled, ruffling her hair. "When yer sitting on that horse's back for about eight hours straight, yer gonna be real sore and real moody."

"That only counted for you, Tasuki no da," the monk interjected with a laugh. "Your horse like to buck and throw you off every chance he got, last time. I hope you have enough carrots for this trip."

"Shut yer trap!" the bandit sputtered, flushing. "I was hungry."

__

~~~

Sure enough, Chichiri's hunch proved correct, and there was indeed a small inn about an hour's walk south, complete with a small stable. Tasuki made all reservations for rooms and mounts, insisting that he himself inspect the horses; Yume had to explain to the confused owner the precarious fear he had of the animals, for which the seishi later bonked her on the head for.

He ended up treating them all to a large 'lunch,' as it was too late in the day for breakfast and too early for dinner. Battling Munashii had proven quite taxing on both seishi and Priestess; they had their fill and seconds of the best food the cook had to offer.

"Man, I'm stuffed," Yume sighed, leaning back into her chair. Chichiri and Tasuki exchanged amused glances, at last erupting into gales of heartfelt laughter.

"What?" the girl growled, annoyed. "Do I have something on my face or what?"

Neither could answer for a good few minutes, while Yume's patience wore good-naturedly thin at being excluded. She stood up with a huff, batting both seishi playfully upside their heads, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Ahaha... it's just... you remind us of Miaka, Yume-chan no da," Chichiri replied at last, taking off his mask for a moment to wipe away a tear from his eye. He grinned up at her, the look on her face enough to trigger another barrel of snickers.

"Heh, yeah! Damn right!" Tasuki agreed, leaning back and tossing his crossed legs carelessly onto the tabletop, fangs poking out wickedly. "She'd always eat and eat and eat, and then complain that she couldn't hold any more, but was still hungry! That Miaka..." he trailed off, a somber _expression crossing his face for a moment.

"Aw, hell, what am I talkin' about. She'd probably still that way, and Taka has to get a new job every month just to pay for everything she eats! Oi! Innkeeper! Bring us some sake!"

"Oh no," Chichiri groaned, holding his head in his hands. "Tasuki-kun, shouldn't we wait until we have something to celebrate before you get drunk? I don't want to have to carry you onto your horse, no da. I'd pity the poor creature."

"What're ya talking about? We just scored a point against Munashii! We got somethin' to celebrate, all right!" But before the monk could say any more, the innkeeper had already brought out a bottle of sake and three drinking bowls.

"Um, none for me, thanks," Yume said politely as she refused the bowl. "I don't drink."

"Typical woman," the bandit grunted, throwing back and swallowing a full bowl of the fiery liquid in a single gulp. "Never want ta even try the stuff. Too damned afraid." Yume seethed, tempted to smack him again.

"I never said I was afraid, you overgrown wolf! I hate the taste of alcohol! And furthermore, the stuff's horrible for you! Do you know how many people die at an early age because of drinking?"

"Doesn't really matter. Life as a seishi's just as dangerous, y'know. Hell, it's our job to die for the Priestess, if it's called for."

"Tasuki-kun, maybe you shouldn't be so morbid, no da? I thought you said you were celebrating?"

The bandit glanced over at the monk almost coldly, draining a second helping of sake before continuing in a heavy drawl. "I said _we_ were celebratin'. And I was jus' explainin' ta Yume here what our duty is to 'er. Ya shouldn' shelter 'er, Chiri. It won't do any good when one of us--"

"Ano, Tasuki," the girl in question spoke up, waving her hand to get his attention. "I'm a little tired now, so I'll leave you and Chichiri-san to take care of things, all right? I'll be in my room."

"That's probably a good idea, Yume," Chichiri agreed. "You go on ahead; I'll wake you up when it's time to leave, okay no da?"

"Okay." And with that, she headed towards the other side of the tavern, where the stairs led her up to the inn. When she was out of earshot, the mage pulled off his mask and openly glared at his bandit companion.

"Baka. Can't you see she's been through enough as it is? I don't want her to lose hope this early on..."

"Chiri, she's gotta know, 'r else it'll be even harder for her if we have to sacrifice ourselves. Dammit, if Miaka was here she'd--"

"SHE'S NOT MIAKA!" Chichiri stood up quickly, pounding his fists on the table. His eye glowed almost red in the firelight, angrier than Tasuki had ever seen him.

"She's not her," he continued, quieter but not any less venomous, "Miaka's gone now, Tasuki; she's with Taka. Yume is a very different girl... and you have to accept that. You can't keep pretending to know her just because she came from the same world as Miaka. Do you think that Yui was the same?"

"I didn' say they were the same," the bandit growled, tugging his shirt open to expose toned, tanned flesh hardened by battle and time, his head hanging so that silky locks of fiery red hair obscured eyes of molten gold. "I've never thought that... it's jus'... well, shit Chichiri. I've never known how ta deal with women... I guess I don' want ta see Yume as broken as Miaka was, a long time ago. Remember when she walked around the palace with a dead look in 'er eyes? She wouldn' even eat. No one could console her.

"It happened again when Nuriko died... and after that it seemed like somethin' was ripped outta her... as if part of her'd just _died,_ Chichiri. It'd kill me if I let it happen again."

"Tasuki..." the monk sighed in resignation, slowly sitting back down in his seat. "I know how you feel... but we have to handle things differently this time around. There's more at stake... and we have a Priestess who isn't the happy-genki overeater. Yume's much more mature, and emotional about things; and unlike Miaka who was open about how she felt, she keeps it inside and tortures herself into depression, much like I did before being trained by Taiitskun."

Silence, then...

"Yer in love with her, ain't ya?" the bandit's hand moved to the half-full bottle on the table, but then unexpectedly changed course to swirl the last contents of the empty drinking bowl in aimless circles. Chichiri looked away from him and into the fire, pondering the question himself. It had been years since he'd known such an emotion... being a monk had taken its toll emotionally. He'd had to keep up a constant facade not only to hide his true feelings, but to help others with theirs; true, he'd admitted love to Yume the night before... gods, it seemed so long ago... 

But was it just a protector's love for his charge? Or was it truly the love that one feels for another, that they'd do anything for their other, even if it meant dying so that they could carry on?

Did he understand the meaning of that kind of love?

Was it possible for him to feel such a thing, with a blackened past as he had?

Did he... _could he_ love Yume, as she deserved to be?

"Yes," he murmured almost inaudibly, more a confession to himself than to his companion. "I love her."

__

~~~

Yume closed the door to her room, hearing the hinges squeak noisily and the boards creak beneath her feet. Ignoring such disturbances to the solitude and silence she craved, she threw herself onto her bed and grabbed the pillow.

__

They may have to die for me... she thought, squeezing her eyes shut as if to make the thoughts go away. However, it only served to produce swimming colors that danced about her vision, seemingly taunting her into restlessness.

__

Dammit... I wanted adventure... but never this... Sitting up slightly, she punched the wall to vent her frustration, recoiling and biting her lip as a stinging pain lanced over her knuckles. Finding some twisted relief in the feeling, she punched again, this time noting with muted horror the bloodstains now adorning the wooden surface. Cursing, she was tempted to repeat the destructive action upon realizing that she'd injured her left hand -- her drawing hand -- but instead ripped off part of her sheet to wrap around her fingers. Tying the ends into a firm knot, she tossed her legs over the side of the bed and sat on the end, staring blankly at the closed door.

Moonlight washed inside from a single window next to the bed, nearby trees dappling it into changing patterns on the walls. Wind gently played with her loose hair, allowing it to lightly pat her cheek as if in some form of distant consolation to her troubles; Yume just continued to stare straight ahead, seemingly beyond the room itself... even as a foreign shadow rose to loom on the other side of the window, nocking an arrow and silently taking aim...

*****

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Author's Notes: I know I'm evil, please don't kill me! I have no idea when the next chapter will be out… school starts next week . But I'll get to work on it ASAP!

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Next Chapter: Trouble in Sailou! Yume follows the clues leading to Byakko's hidden relic, but who is the mysterious figure following her around? Are they out for blood? Her true powers begin to violently take control… and her visions begin to take a different turn, next in _Chapter Eight: Yin-Yang._


End file.
